Raising EJ
by Make-My-Heart-Burst
Summary: Daltonverse. Stuart Trio!Future. "Did it come with a note or something?" Julian asked, reaching down toward the pink bundle on the door step." Derek, Julian, and Logan find an interesting package on their doorstep one fateful morning.
1. Chapter 1

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Prologue:

"What is it?" Logan asked as he and his roommates, best friend Derek and boyfriend Julian, looked down at their door mat.

"What do you mean what is it?" Julian looked over at Logan and smacked the back of his head. "It's pretty obvious," he looked at Derek.

"Well yeah, I meant what do we do with it?" Both Julian and Logan turned to Derek who was just looking down at his feet in confusion. "Derek?"

"Did it come with a note or something?" Julian asked, reaching down toward the pink bundle on the door step.

"DON'T!" both Derek and Logan pulled him back.

"It's not a bomb you guys," Julian rolled his eyes. "It's a baby."

"A sleeping baby," Derek said. "Do not wake sleeping babies!"

"Well should we at least bring it inside?"

"Her," Julian corrected. Both of them looked at him. "I'm assuming 'it' is a 'her' by the pink blanket." They looked at the baby sleeping in her carrier and nodded. Julian had a point.

"Alright, let's bring HER," Logan emphasized. "Inside. It's LA the fresh air can't possibly be healthy…" he grabbed the carrier by its handle and gently carried her inside. Derek carried the diaper bag and the three of them entered the living room of their apartment.

"Here it is," Julian said, swiping the diaper bag from Derek. "The note…oh…"

"What's oh?" Derek asked.

"Well uh," Julian looked up to Derek. "It's addressed to you Der." Logan and Julian both locked eyes on Derek as he reached out and took the letter from Julian.

_Derek,_

_This is Emma. Emma June Seigerson. She was born three months ago, on September Fourth. She was born happy and healthy. She's our daughter Derek._

_I will admit, I am glad I didn't tell you I was pregnant when I found out. You wouldn't have cared. I was just another notch in your bedpost. I spent the 9 months carrying Emma with the plan that I would raise her on my own and conquer the single mother life. But shortly after having her, I learned I can't do it._

_Maybe you'll have a better shot at parenting than I will._

"Should we worry that all the color has drained from his face?" Logan asked.

"Shhh," Derek hushed.

_Be good to her Derek. Don't try to find me. You can run a paternity test if you want, but I know for a fact you're Emma's father. _

_Be good to her. Who knows maybe she'll be good for you._

_Good Luck,_

_Hannah _

"Hannah?" Derek said. Which one is Hannah?

"Is that the baby's name?" Julian asked.

"No, the mother's," Derek said.

"What, are you babysitting or something?" Logan asked. Derek didn't say anything. Frustrated with his friend's lack of voice, Logan snatched the letter away. Derek hardly protested, just kept staring into space. Logan let out a low whistle and then handed the letter to his boyfriend. Julian's eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

"She can't just do that!" Julian suddenly said. "She can't just LEAVE her baby at the door! What if no one was home? What if you MOVED?" Julian threw his hands up in the air. "Who is this Hannah girl anyway?"

"Tall, blonde hair, made us coffee," Logan chimed in. Both boys looked at him. "What?"

"How do you remember stuff like that?" Julian asked. Logan shrugged.

"What are you going to do?" Derek looked at Emma sleeping in the carrier.

"I don't know…" Derek said. This was all happening too fast. "I need air…"

"No, you're not leaving her with us!" Logan jumped up. "She's your daughter Derek!"

_She's your daughter Derek_.

The three of them turned to look at the sleeping Emma. Hey, at least she sleeps.

"It'll be like babysitting," Julian shrugged, looking at the other two. "Like when we babysat Der's little sister when we were in high school."

"Only at the end of the night, my parents came home and I was free of responsibility," Derek said. "I can't… I can't be…be a…"

"Father," Logan and Julian said at the same time. Derek sighed and leaned back in the chair.

"You could always put her up for adoption…" Julian, ever the voice of reason.

"No," Derek said. "I can't…I can't do that." It wasn't that he already loved this kid, or anything sappy like that. No, giving up the baby would be like quitting, and as an athlete, Derek had it drilled into his mind never to quit.

Until he could find out where this Hannah was and figure something out with her, Derek would accept the challenge.

Emma June stirred in her carrier and the three men stepped back from her. "Please don't wake up," Logan whispered.

"She's going to have to eventually," Julian replied. Emma opened her eyes and yawned, looking at the three men staring down at her. "Holy shit," Julian and Logan both turned to look at Derek.

"She looks just like you."

"What do we do?" Derek asked.

"You're the one who had younger siblings," Logan said. "How should we know?" Derek looked at the baby again. Emma looked around with wide brown eyes and took in all the unfamiliarity. She didn't know this room or these people or the smells. Everything was different.

And then she freaked. Big wet tears fell from the baby's eyes and she wailed. All three of them covered their ears.

"Ah! Make it stop!" Logan yelled.

"Her!" Julian corrected.

"SHUT UP YOU!"

"Ahhh!" Derek knelt down and unbuckled Emma from her carrier. He picked up the 3 month old and held her out in front of him, wincing as she continued to scream.

"Derek, make her stop!" Julian yelled.

"It's not like she has an off button Julian!" Derek yelled back. "Don't cry Emma, you're alright…" he didn't know what to do; she was going to cry forever, he was sure of it. She began to squirm and scream, her face turning red.

"You're going to drop her!" Logan yelled. He grabbed Emma from under where Derek held her and took her gently, cradling her on her back and against his chest.

It was like magic. It was a fucking miracle.

Emma stopped crying.

"Dude…" Julian looked at Logan and then Derek.

"You're hired." Derek said. "How did you do that?"

"Politicians have to kiss a lot of babies," Logan shrugged. "I've seen my dad do it a million times." He leaned back to Derek, "Here."

"What? No!" Derek stepped back into Julian who nudged him forward.

"Go on man, she's your kid." Derek sighed and held out his arms. Logan placed Emma correctly and Derek froze, afraid he'd move and drop her. Wide, curious brown eyes looked up at Derek, and small fingers clasped around his thumb.

"Um…" he looked at the guys and then back at her. He didn't know what he was feeling at the moment. Here he was, holding a little girl that was supposedly his in his arms; his two best friends were watching him. None of them had a clue of what to do.

"Well Emma June," Derek looked at the little girl with a smirk. "Good luck, we're all going to need it."


	2. Chapter 2

_Raising EJ _– A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter One:

"This stuff is gross," Julian said as he opened a can of baby food and sniffed it. "No wonder she all fussy when she eats! It smells like shit!"

"There's like, three million flavors in here," Logan said as he fished through the dipper bag. "Maybe she doesn't like peas."

"Well why don't we just ask her, huh?" Derek said, shaking his head. "Hey, EJ, do you like smashed carrots that smell gross, or smashed peas of the same fragrance." Emma just looked at the boys with an amused look on her face.

"Did you try calling you mom again?" Julian asked.

"I'm pretty sure she had a heart attack when I called her an hour ago," Derek sat in the chair facing Emma.

"Well, you didn't handle it well at all," Logan said. "Hey Mom, it's Derek. So I'm a dad, what the hell do I do?"

"I didn't think she'd hang up," Derek said. Emma fussed in her chair. "Come on EJ, eat," he held the spoon out in front of her. Emma's mouth stayed closed.

"Maybe she doesn't like being called EJ?" Logan offered. "I'm sure Hannah called her Emma."

"Well Hannah's not here anymore and I like EJ better," Derek said, getting frustrated. "Lo, what else is in the bag? Maybe there are directions…"

"Babies don't come with manuals Der," Julian said, but Derek glared at him and he backed off. Logan emptied the dipper bag. Pacifiers, chewing rings, bottles…

"Ahh!" Emma reached out in recognition of something Logan put on the counter. The boys jumped back.

"What is it?" they all asked her. Julian snorted, what were they thinking, EJ wasn't going to answer.

"Ahh!" EJ said again, her arms flailing. They handed her the pacifier, it was promptly thrown on the floor. "Ahh!" she sounded urgent.

"Think it's the bottle?" Julian asked. "She can't be teething yet, can she?" There was a knock at the door. Logan got up to get it and Julian placed the bottle in front of EJ.

"You're giving her an empty bottle?" Derek asked.

"Well what are we supposed to put in it?" Julian asked.

"I don't know!" Derek yelled. "The smelly peas?"

"Guys!" Logan came running in. "We have help!"

"Hannah came back?" Derek asked hopefully. Julian had said it must be tough being away from her baby that long. Shouldn't she know Derek was probably going to starve her…?

But it was not Hannah who came into the kitchen from behind Logan. A tall woman, about Derek's height, with graying hair and thick glasses, simply shook her head. "Mom!" Derek leapt across the kitchen and hugged his mother tight. "God mom, I thought I killed you…"

"Not killed, startled maybe," Mrs. Seigerson kissed her son on the cheek. "We'll talk later." She looked to the other two. "Amanda is carrying baby equipment up the stairs; you two won't make her do it alone, will you?" Logan and Julian ran off to help Derek's sister. "You, my dear boy," she pointed to Derek, "how old is the baby?"

"Three months," Derek said. "Her name is Emma, by the way." Derek led her to the carrier that the three of them set in the middle of the table. EJ was covered in napkins so they wouldn't get her dirty, and there were several cans of baby food settled around her chair. "She won't eat…"

"She's too young to eat real food honey," Derek's mother said as she gently lifted Emma from the chair.

"THIS is real food?" Derek asked incredulously. His mother laughed and handed her son the empty bottle.

"It is, you ate it until you were five," his mother said. "Did that dipper bag come with formula?"

"Formula for what?" Derek asked, but he went to the bag and pulled out a can that said 'Baby Formula' on it.

"Mix it as directed and heat it up," his mother said. "But not too hot, just warm, maybe thirty seconds in the microwave." Derek didn't know what he was doing, but he listened to his mother as she played with EJ. There was a loud noise in the kitchen, someone dropped something. Derek poured a scoop of powder in the bottle and added milk. When he was done preparing it, he handed the bottle to his mother for inspection.

"Good, pour some on your wrist, if it burns your skin or your tongue, put an ice cube in it," Derek did as he was told and her flinched away when he tasted the formula. "Too hot?"

"No, gross!" Derek said. He tried to hand the bottle away, but Mrs. Seigerson shook her head and handed the baby to him.

"It's about time you took some responsibility," she said sternly and Derek blushed. "Of course, I wish you had started with a fish, or a plant…" Emma settled in Derek's arms and seemed pleased when he tilted the bottle of formula in her direction. She gratefully took hold of it and began to drink it down.

"Atta girl EJ," Derek said. "Hey guys! She's eating!" Derek went out into the living room and found his sister and his two best friends trying to figure out where all the boxes were supposed to go. "Holy shit…"

"Mrs. S, what is this?" Julian asked, picking up a cylindrical thing that was about as long as his torso.

"It's a Diaper Genie," she explained, the boys looked at her as if she had two heads. "To put the diapers in so they don't stink."

"Stink?" Logan, Julian, and Derek all said together, terror appearing on all of their faces. Amanda laughed.

Mrs. Seigerson showed the boys how to burp the baby and gave them a handful of tips which Logan wrote town and taped to the fridge. The girls cooed over EJ as the boys assembled the crib and the high chair.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Logan said. "I can't believe we found a baby on our front doorstep this morning."

"I can't believe EJ's mother just dropped her off here," Julian said as he screwed together the last piece of the crib. "If we find that Hannah girl I'm giving her a piece of my mind…"

"Let me at her first," Derek said. He was quiet for a minute or two until Julian and Logan looked up at him. "I can't believe I'm a dad, you guys."

"We'll figure it out," Julian said. "We'll stick with you."

"We have this long, haven't we?" Logan said. He sat the crib upright and looked around. "So where does it go?"

"Derek's room," the girls said together. Derek looked at his sister and mother, ready to argue. "She needs to be close by, just in case she needs you," his mother explained.

"That and you three don't have an extra room…" Amanda added. Eventually, that was going to turn out to be a problem.

"Fine," Derek huffed as he and Logan carried the crib into his room. Julian put the high chair in the kitchen and cleaned up the food.

"We have to go soon, dear," Derek's mother said after a while of playing Q and A with the boys. She handed EJ back to Derek and stood from the couch, kissing the three of them on the cheek. "Good luck, look after one another, don't hesitate to call."

"Don't kill the baby," Amanda added. Logan snorted. Julian punched him in the ribs. They waved a reluctant goodbye from the door.

"They sure left quickly," Logan said. Derek looked down to EJ who seemed to be laughing.

"What's so funny?" Derek asked her.

"Um…" Julian looked at Logan and they both stepped back, pinching their nose.

"What…oh," he looked at EJ and frowned. "God Damnit."

"YOU'RE HER FATHER!" Logan and Julian said.

"But it's gross!" Derek held EJ away from him, turning his face in disgust. EJ just looked at her father. _So are you going to change me or what?_

"Just, man up and do it," Julian said. Derek grimaced and looked around before taking her into the bathroom and setting her on the counter. Julian and Logan laughed to themselves, thankful to escape the first diaper fiasco, and took a seat next to each other on the sofa.

"So today's been rather boring hasn't it?" Logan laughed as Julian put his feet up on the table and wrapped an arm around his boyfriend. Logan leaned into Julian.

"_What the hell is this!_" Derek yelled from the bathroom. Julian and Logan laughed.

"Anything good on TV?" Logan asked, picking up the remote and turning the TV on. "Oh look, we could watch MTV's 'Where are they now' I bet you're on it Jules."

"Gimme that!" Julian reached for the remote but Logan pulled away quickly. Julian lunged and wrestled Logan off of the couch. "Logan!"

"Nope, not sharing Jules!" Logan teased.

"You squid!" Julian glared at his boyfriend. He abandoned all hope for the remote and decided to distract Logan another way.

"Don't think you can just kiss me and make me forget my ultimate goal here…" Logan tried, but to no avail. Julian kissed him deeply and Logan moaned into the kiss and he reached up, running his fingers through Julian's dark hair.

"Aha!" Julian exclaimed, snatching the remote and jumping back onto the couch. Logan lay on the ground, looking rather confused for a moment.

"Fuck you!" Logan glared.

"Watch your mouth Lo, there's a baby in the house." Julian said. Logan rolled his eyes. Julian laughed and offered his hand to help Logan up. Logan sat on the couch away from Julian and huffed. "Aw, don't be mad Lo," Julian said, twisting on the couch so that his head lay in Logan's lap. He gave him is sweetest 'please-don't-be-mad-at-me' face and Logan sighed, kissing Julian on the top of the head.

"Okay, I did it!" Derek came out of the bathroom holding out Emma as if she was a bomb about to explode. He looked a little green in the face.

"Where are the rest of her clothes?" Logan asked, seeing that Emma was only in a diaper.

"I couldn't get them back on…" Derek admitted. He placed the baby on Julian's stomach and the actor held her in place. "I need to shower, that was the most disgusting thing I've ever seen or done in my life…" He looked at Julian and Logan properly for a moment, their hair was tasseled and Logan's face was flushed. "Are you kidding me? I'm changing the world's grossest diaper and you two are making out on the couch?"

"Actually, we were making out on the floor," Logan corrected. Derek threw up his hands in bewilderment and turned around, walking into the bathroom and shutting the door.

Emma was pouting, it seemed. Her lip was quivering, but there were no tears. "Oh, don't worry EJ," Julian smiled at the baby. "I'm sure it wasn't the worst diaper ever."

"Should we tell Derek the diaper is on backwards?" Logan asked. Julian let out a short laugh.

"Here babe, I'll fix you," Julian said.

"Oh see, Uncle Julian likes to play with you now that you're empty and sleepy," Logan poked the baby. "He's cruel like that, I know."

"Don't listen to him," Julian sat up and fixed the diaper. "Uncle Logan's just bitter." Logan stuck his tongue out at Julian. Julian reciprocated.

EJ giggled and opened her mouth, letting her tongue roll out. The boys shared a look.

"We didn't teach her that."


	3. Chapter 3

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Two:

"Derek!" Logan yelled from the living room. "Derek help!"

"Logan, I know we've only been doing this for three months, but you know how to change her…" Derek fixed his tie as he came out of his room and to the living room. "What? What is it?"

"She keeps MOVING!" Logan groaned in frustration. EJ lay on the changing table, giggling in delight as Logan struggled with the diaper. She twisted back and forth, rolling onto her stomach. Logan rolled her back, grabbed the diaper, and she did the same, rolling the other way.

"Whoa, watch her!" Derek grabbed the little girl before she rolled off the changing table.

"I told you!" Logan sighed. "I give up."

"Here, I'll help," Derek said. He put EJ on her back on the table again and as Logan changed her diaper, Derek gently pressed her shoulders down and made faces to distract her. Logan finally strapped the damn thing on and then lifted EJ up in the air.

"Victory!" EJ giggled and Derek shook his head. Logan brought the baby down and placed her in the playpen on the floor. "What's with the monkey suit?"

"Trying to impress a new client," Derek said. "Some big swim star or something; going to be the next Michael Phelps apparently…" Derek worked as an agent to professional athletes in Los Angeles, a position he took after tearing his ACL in a minor league soccer incident. "I don't know, I hate swimmers."

"Do they really shave all their leg hair?" Logan asked. Derek shrugged.

"I don't know man, if the guy's wearing shorts today, I'll tell you," Derek laughed. His eyes, though lit up from his laugh, had dark circles underneath them.

"You look exhausted D," Logan pointed out. Derek sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, well, EJ was up all night," he said. "And therefore _I _was up all night." He looked over at Logan sharply. "Seriously, neither of you heard it?" Logan blushed slightly.

"I can follow that with a, seriously, you didn't hear us?" Julian exited his room dramatically a smug grin on his face. He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Logan's waist, hugging him from behind and placing his chin on Logan's shoulder.

"Do you two think it's possible to not fuck like rabbits while I'm at work today?" Derek asked. "I mean, you are in charge of a child for a few hours after all."

"Oh look Lo, he's worried about her," Julian said.

"I'd say it's almost paternal of him, Jules," Logan smiled. Derek rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, she grew on you."

"I'm going to work now," Derek picked up his briefcase and cell phone. "Please don't corrupt my daughter by having wild sex in the room next door while I'm gone, will you?"

"Awww, your daughter," Julian and Logan chimed in together. Derek rolled his eyes again and waved goodbye, ruffling EJ's hair before he left. EJ pressed her face against the mesh side of the playpen and frowned.

"Eh…" EJ looked longingly at the front door. Julian looked down at the little girl and picked her up. Her eyes began to water and her lip quivered.

"Oh, it's okay EJ," Julian said, looking over at Logan. "Your daddy will be home soon…" and with that bit of comfort offered, EJ began to cry.

* * *

><p>"James Ocosona," a tall, Mediterranean boy with broad shoulders and a bald head shook Derek's hand after introducing himself. "Good to meet you Mr. Seigerson."<p>

"Back at you," Derek said. James was nineteen, and according to his watchful parents who stood so close to their son that they stepped on his heels, he had been swimming ever since he was six months old. "Why don't we come on into my office, yeah?" Derek had never been given an athlete so young before. Shouldn't this kid go to school?

James looked over his shoulder at his parents, both standing proudly and protectively at his side. Derek shot a look at Bruce Belby, his boss, who picked up on it quickly.

"Helen, Rupert," Bruce stepped in with his used-car-salesman-smile spreading on his face. "Derek here is just going to get to know your son. Why don't we just go over here, discuss the legalities of things…" Bruce led the worried couple off and Derek took James into his office.

"I'm sorry about them Mr. Seigerson," James said with a shrug. "I'm the baby, they follow me everywhere."

"It's okay," Derek said. "And you can call me Derek, James."

"Got it." James sat on one of the chairs next to Derek's desk and looked out the window. He looked like a kid bored in class longing to be outside.

"Sorry, but, really, nineteen?" Derek asked, James looked back to him confused. "I mean, is this really what you want to do?"

"…Yes." James answered after a moment of hesitation.

"What will you do when it's done?"

"Done?"

"I played soccer at USC," Derek explained. "First string all four years. I had fancy men in suits coming up to me every day and shaking my hand. The day after graduation, I got signed on to a minor team, on the speed route toward the USA Olympic team."

"And then what?" James looked at Derek expectantly.

"First game of the season, I tore my ACL, my meniscus, and shattered my left kneecap." Derek frowned. "So there's my sob story. But I went to school and majored in sports management and I was able to pick myself up after my athletic career left me for dead." James stared out the window again. "I'm not just lecturing you because you're a kid," Derek explained. "I tell this to everyone I manage."

"Maybe I can talk to my parents about school," James said quietly. "I can't just be a life guard forever." Derek nodded. Good, they were getting somewhere. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Derek said drinking from his coffee cup.

"Why do you look so tired?" Derek choked on his coffee. "I mean, how many people do you manage?"

"No, no, it's not that," Derek said. "I was just, my daughter is six-months old, and she was up all night."

"Oh!" James said, as if the entire world was explained by this simple statement. "It's because she napped all day I bet." Derek looked at James with a raised eyebrow. "My older sister- she's a preschool teacher- and they apparently only have like, a 20 minute nap time because anything longer means they won't sleep through the night." James shrugged. "That and I know that parents do a lot of extracurricular with babies so that it tires them out. Like, our Parent-child swim class is at like, seven, cause then the kids just go home and sleep." James looked really excited. "You should do that!"

"I'm not a mommy-and-me swimming kind of guy…" Derek cringed.

"Fine, then you just keep working on those bags under your eyes while I'm off winning gold medals, okay," James grinned and winked at Derek, laughing.

"Gold medals huh? You're that good?" Derek actually already knew how good James was, he'd seen the videos.

"Derek, I'm about to knock the world's socks off."

* * *

><p>Derek and his boss, along with James' parents, spent the rest of the afternoon watching James swim. Derek set him up with personal trainers and physicians in case of any injury, and finally handed the boy his phone number.<p>

He didn't get to go home until almost midnight. Derek walked in the door, ready to crash on his bed, maybe even the sofa if he couldn't make it any farther. But the sofa was occupied. Logan and Julian were wiped out, fast asleep and tangled together. Derek was about to wake them and say they only had ONE CONDITION when babysitting EJ today, but he stopped to see that EJ was wrapped in Julian's arms, struggling to get free.

"Okay, okay, I got you," Derek said with a sigh. He pried open Julian's arms and lifted EJ up, holding her close to him. "How you doing EJ? Have a good day with your uncles?" He looked over to the couch again. "Knocked them out I see," EJ giggled and grabbed onto Derek's face. "Ouch EJ," Derek pried her fingers away, but he let her hold onto his thumb as he went into his room and sat on the bed with her lying against his knees.

The truth was, he had grown attached to the little girl. His mother told him that dads don't feel like dads until they hold their newborn. Emma June here though, sideswiped his emotions and landed, quite literally, on his doorstep. But in the three months that he and Logan and Julian had been playing house, he admitted only to himself that he wouldn't mind if this was just how things ended up being. He knew he couldn't do it without the guys, but raising EJ would be, for lack of any other word, fun.

"You've got to let me sleep tonight Emma," Derek yawned. "I'm so tired; it's all your fault." EJ smiled sweetly, though Derek was sure she had no clue what he was saying. He contemplated his day and played with Emma, holding her hands as she bounced excitedly. She needed to tire out…

"What do you say to a swim class, huh?" Derek said. "That would be fun right?" EJ didn't really react; she just leaned forward and curled up on Derek's chest. Derek kissed the top of her head and smiled.

"Yeah, sounds like a plan."

* * *

><p>That Saturday night, Derek felt like an idiot as he stood in the lobby of the pool with EJ sitting on his hip.<p>

"Hey there," a woman about sixteen, smiled widely. "Welcome to Oceana Pool! Are we a tiny tot or a little bopper?" Derek looked at EJ and then back to the woman.

"I have no clue, to be honest…" Derek admitted. "James told us to show up…"

"Oh, right, hold on," the girl called back into the office. "Hey P! You're brother's friend is here…" she smiled at Derek. The office door opened and out came a girl about Derek's age. She had olive skin and a wide, pearl white smile. She was wearing a red one piece swimsuit and a deck coat and in her hand was half a piece of pepperoni pizza.

"Oh hey," the girl smiled at Derek and offered her free hand. "I'm Parker, James' sister, you must be Derek."

"Yeah, that's me," Derek said. "James told me you teach preschool…"

"I do," she said. "But I grew up working here, and I couldn't leave, so I teach Saturday nights," Parker shrugged. "What can you do? And who's this?" she bent down and smiled at EJ.

"Oh, this is Emma, we call her EJ," Derek explained. Parker smiled at the baby and gently poked her stomach, making EJ giggle.

"Very nice to meet you both," Parker said. "Come on, I'll take you to the pool," she led him through the office and out the other door to an indoor pool. On the far wall, parents were holding their small ones in bathing suits.

"Are you ready?" Parker asked Derek. Derek looked at Parker's expectant eyes and let out an awkward smile. "It won't be terrible, I promise."

"Then I guess we're ready," Derek said. Parker rounded up the parents and had them walk down the ramp into the water. Several babies screamed, even more cried. Derek looked at EJ just before her feet touched the chlorine.

"Emma, I'm begging you, don't cry, I don't think I could handle it." Apparently, they had an understanding, because as Derek stepped further into the pool, EJ merely squealed excitedly and kicked around in the water. "You like this?" EJ responded by splashing playfully. "Thank god."

"Alright class!" Parker spoke up over the criers and their cooing parents. "We're going to start with a song, who knows "Old McDonald," can we sing it?" Several parents clapped excitedly, Derek looked at EJ and locked matching eyes.

"This better be worth it EJ."

* * *

><p>Derek had told Logan and Julian nothing about swimming lessons. He told them he was taking EJ out for a bit, hopefully to get her tired, and then would be home around 8. Logan and Julian, suspicious of their friend, decided to use their date night to stalk Derek to the pool. They sat on the upper deck with a camera and snickered slightly as Derek awkwardly moved EJ to the tune of Old McDonald.<p>

"Jules, it's killing me," Logan said as he snapped another photo.

"You think he's enjoying himself at all?" Julian asked with a smirk.

"I think he's doing it for EJ and that's all that matters," Logan said. "Our little man is growing up," Logan wiped away a fake tear.

"Cute," Julian teased. "Should we tell him we have pictures?"

"I'll save them till later," Logan said. "His mom will die of amusement when she gets them, and we'll need more blackmail to get out for a night alone." They watched with smirks on their faces as Derek played with EJ. She kicked excitedly and splashed Derek in the face.

And yet, he was smiling.

Julian's face suddenly became serious. "Hey Lo?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you think we'll have one someday?"

"Swimming lessons?"

"A kid." Logan looked over at his boyfriend and smiled, kissing his cheek.

"One day," Logan said. "Maybe we should make sure the three of us don't screw up EJ, first, huh?" _And maybe even get married before that…_

"Sounds like a plan." Julian said. He took Logan's hand and they watched as Derek pouted about getting his hair wet.


	4. Chapter 4

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Three:

Logan woke up to the sound of Julian and Derek fighting in the living room. "Seriously you guys? It's nine in the morning…" He had been up all night, the deadline for his composition was today, and when he came to bed, he had realized that today was the day that Julian was leaving for a week to film on sight somewhere in Japan, so they stayed up most of the night talking and cuddling, hating that they were going to be apart.

Logan winced as a baby's crying was added into the mix. Great, they woke up EJ. Logan rolled out of bed and dragged himself out the door. "WHAT are you two fighting about?" Logan yelled. _Yes, Lo, lets add more screaming._

Both Julian and Derek looked over to the sleepy musician who was standing next to EJ's crib as the 10 month old wailed and cried. Derek stepped up to the crib and picked up his daughter, rocking her. "Julian is going out of town for the week," he tried to explain.

"Yes, I'm aware," Logan said. "Bad Julian, how dare you do your job?" Julian snorted.

"_I'm _going out of town," Derek said. "Tomorrow, for a few days, for work." James had been accepted to several colleges, and his parents had insisted that Derek go with their family to see them and meet with coaches and trainers.

"I'm not seeing why this is argument worthy," Logan said as he walked to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. "So you're both going to be gone this week?"

"Yeah, and I was banking on Julian hanging around to watch EJ," Derek said. Julian rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, thanks for _asking_ if I'd be around…" Julian said. "You _knew_ I was flying to shoot this week."

"I can't just back out," Derek said. "This is part of my _job_."

"And this is part of _mine_," Julian shot back.

"Too bad there isn't someone who works here at home," Logan shook his head. "You know, someone who's known EJ as long as you two have…" Julian and Derek shared a look.

"Where's your mom?" Julian asked. "Can she come and stay for a couple of days?"

"Are you kidding me right now?" Logan nearly dropped his coffee mug. "Guys! I'm not going anywhere. I work at home, I can watch EJ…" Derek and Julian shared another look and Logan rolled his eyes. "What, you two don't trust me?"

"Lo…" Derek grimaced as he tried to find the right words. EJ waved her arms up, clearly happy her father was holding her. She made faces and blew a raspberry in Derek's ear. "Ah! Emma!" Derek shook his head. "Lo, it's just…"

"You've never been alone with a kid before Logan," Julian said.

"Sure I have, we babysat Amanda a million times…" Logan pointed out.

"Yes, WE being the key word." Derek sighed and placed EJ on the floor. She immediately rolled onto her stomach and pulled herself up, crawling between the three men, unaware of their arguing. "Face it, it wasn't a good idea to leave a teenaged you alone with a seven year old…"

Logan's ears grew red and he was slowly becoming more and more angry with Derek and Julian. "I'm not sixteen anymore guys, I can take care of EJ…" Julian and Derek glanced at each other once again. "STOP DOING THAT!"

"He is right, though," Julian said to Derek. "He is better. He doesn't even need his meds anymore…"

"I'm right here, Jules," Logan huffed.

"And it's only three days," Derek said. "He could call me if there's a problem." Logan groaned and picked up EJ.

"Come on Emma, they're going to be fighting for a while," he said to EJ carrying her to the kitchen and putting her in her high chair. By the time Julian and Derek had stopped bickering, they had come into the kitchen to find Logan putting a bowl of oatmeal on her tray table and holding the rubber ended spoon in hand. Derek and Julian looked nothing less than impressed.

"Guys, she's been here seven months, I know the drill," Logan said. "Sleep, eat, poop, repeat." Logan crossed his arms. EJ reached out at him however and Logan made another spoonful for her to eat.

"We've decided you're right," Derek said.

"Have you now," Logan said, a biting tone in his voice. Julian winced. Derek kissed the top of EJ's brunette hair.

"What do you say Emma June? You going to be okay with Uncle Logan for a couple days?" EJ responded with another raspberry.

* * *

><p>Later in the week, Derek sat nervously in the passenger seat to the car. EJ was in the backseat of the car babbling happily. Logan pulled up at LAX. "Okay D, your stop." Logan announced. Derek looked out at the busy airport but he didn't move. "Or I can just sit here and get a ticket…"<p>

"I'm going…" Derek said. "Okay, just, she needs to sleep by seven, or else she'll be unbearable all night." Derek went through the mental checklist. "And her bottle of formula needs to be in the microwave for 25 seconds, no longer or you'll burn her. And don't leave her alone on the changing table or in the bath or at all, ever, just…"

"Derek, not that I don't appreciate it, but you've given me this speech 6 times now…" Logan shook his head. "Now get out and say goodbye before you miss your flight." Derek sighed and got out of the car. He went in the back seat and grabbed his bag.

"Ahh!" EJ reached out for Derek and he smiled at her, kissing the top of her head.

"Be good for your Uncle Logan now, okay Emma June?" Derek said. He pressed his face against hers and smiled, making EJ smile too. "Love you." Logan smiled at the tender moment, but he didn't say anything to ruin it. Derek had grown quite attached to the little girl.

"Good luck Derek," Logan called as his friend closed the side door.

"Back at you," Derek said with a strained smile, and then, before it could get any more painful, Logan put the car in gear and drove off.

"Ready for this EJ?" Logan looked in the rearview mirror at the baby who was now attempting to put her whole foot in her mouth. "Yeah, that what I was thinking…"

* * *

><p>"Derek!" James jumped up as Derek boarded the plane, excited to see him. "Dude, look, we're on a plane, an actual airplane!"<p>

"Oh god you've never been on a plane before…" Derek said with a sigh. He saw that shiny bald head of his shake furiously and disappear behind his parents' seat as he pressed his face against the window. Derek said hello to James' parents and was slightly surprised to see who he was sitting next to for the flight.

"Parker!" He smiled as he recognized the olive skin and the tied back black hair.

"Well isn't it my favorite student," Parker smiled back as Derek took the aisle seat. "Where's the other half? Home with mom I assume?" Derek blinked for a minute before responding.

"No, EJ's with my roommate," Derek said carefully. "Her mom…isn't around."

"Oh, I'm sorry," a blush crept onto her cheeks.

"It's fine…" Derek said nonchalantly.

"Park, look how many movies they have on this thing…they're all free?" James played with the in-flight entertainment system.

"James, you need to get out more," Parker laughed. She turned to Derek who had settled into his seat and was now ready for the flight. "Derek, I wanted to thank you personally, for convincing James to go to school. I mean, we've been telling him for years…" She shrugged. "He just wouldn't listen. I don't know what you said, but it worked."

Derek smiled at how sincere Parker was about her brother's well being. "No problem, really," Derek said. Parker smiled and patted his arm before turning and flicking her brother in the head playfully. Derek settled in his seat and wondered idly about EJ as the plane readied for lift off.

* * *

><p>"I'll have you know you're paying for this phone call Love," Julian said as he answered a call from Logan. "What is it?"<p>

"I quit, come home," Logan said shortly as he stared down a playful EJ. It was three in the morning in LA, and EJ was in no mood to sleep.

"Oh babe, you're failing already?" Julian asked.

"I'm not failing!" Logan said. "She just won't sleep, she's crawling around the apartment like she owns everything and it's THREE AM!"

"You have to calm her down first Lo," Derek said. "Turn the lights down, give her a bottle…"

"I did that," Logan sighed.

"Call Derek…"

"No."

"Well SOMEONE is a little stubborn," Julian sang. Logan paused and looked at his keyboard in the corner of the room.

"Got to go," Logan said quickly. "Love you."

"Wait, Lo, hey..!" But Logan hung up the phone and scooped up EJ and placed her in her crib. Then he brought the keyboard next to the crib.

"Alright EJ, let's give this ago, what do you say?" Logan stared at the keyboard. He had no idea what he should play. What did babies like to listen to? Logan watched Disney movies when he was little, but weren't all those songs fast paced and exciting? He wanted EJ to go to sleep!

Well there was one… "Emma, I will have you know if you tell your Uncle Julian or your Dad that I sang this to you, you're going to be in big trouble." He must not have a very stern face, because EJ smiled at his threat.

"_When you wish upon a star_

_Makes no different who you are_

_Anything your heart desires will come to you"_

It had begun to work faster than Logan had expected. The sound of the lullaby made EJ sleepy and she rested her head on the mattress. Logan smiled in relief and kept playing.

"_If your heart is in your dreams_

_No request is too extreme_

_When you wish upon a star_

_As dreamers do."_

He kept playing as EJ's eyes fluttered closed. He stopped only when he heard her soft snoring. Logan almost jumped up in the air and shouted.

"Take that Derek," Logan mumbled. "I can take care of the baby, screw both of you…" Logan was so tired however, and he didn't even make it to the bed, instead collapsing on the couch a few feet from the crib.

Both Logan and EJ slept soundly until noon.

* * *

><p>James was sitting in a hotel room with all his paperwork spread in front of him. Parker and Derek sat across from him. Helen and Rupert went out to get them all dinner. "This is hard…"<p>

"Well you didn't even like these two," Parker said, pulling the pamphlets out of the stack. Derek nodded silently and checked his phone. He had been doing so every three minutes for the past three days.

"Oh my god Derek, just call him already," James said. "I'm sure your daughter is fine…"

"Unless Logan burned down the entire apartment and neither of them survived," Derek said seriously.

"No, that would be on the news," James said as he flipped over the brochure for Oregon State.

"No, I won't call, I trust Logan…" Derek said. He glanced at his phone again and, frustrated, Parker snatched it away. "Parker!"

"Logan right?" she dialed the number and Derek leapt at her, but she was quick and turned away. "Hey Logan, this is Parker, a friend of Derek's," she smiled as she avoided another attempt to take the phone away. "How are things? Yeah, that's good." She held her hand over the receiver. "Logan wants to know if you need a ride from the airport tonight?"

"I uh... Parker give me the phone!" She shook her head. "No." he gave up, slumping back in the chair. "No I don't need a ride, Julian is due back the same time as me." She relayed the information.

"Awesome, great, bye!" She hung up the phone and handed it to Derek. "Logan and EJ are both fine, Amanda, whoever that is, came over to play with her while he dropped something off at the symphony hall and no, it didn't sound like your apartment was on fire, so I think you're in the clear."

"I hate you," Derek said. He huffed and sat back in his chair.

"Now don't you feel better though?" Derek nodded reluctantly. She sat back with James. He had two schools left in front of him. USC and UCLA. "Seriously, we just trecked across the West coast for 3 days and you've narrowed it down to two school in our general living area James?" Parker smacked her brother on the back of his head. James laughed and shoved at his sister.

"Derek what school did you go to again?" James asked. Derek looked at him curiously and then pointed at one of the pamphlets.

"USC," Derek said. James nodded and then flipped through the USC flyer.

"Okay, sounds good." James said.

"What?" Parker and Derek said together.

"USC, I picked," James jumped off the bed. "Now, food, lets go find mom and dad, okay?" and he marched out the door, leaving a baffled Derek and an amused Parker behind.

* * *

><p>"They didn't go to sleep until when?" Derek asked Julian for the third time as Julian's limo pulled up outside.<p>

"I regret telling you this…" Julain said. "Come on, look, they're fine, I promise…" Derek and Julian headed up to their apartment and swung the door open.

The apartment was a mess. There were clothes and baby toys everywhere. Empty food jars sat on the coffee table, ontop of the TV and spread throughout the apartment. Logan was asleep on the floor, his back propped up against the seat of the sofa. EJ was in his lap, chewing on her blanket and watching 101 Dalmatians on TV.

When she saw Julian and Derek, however, EJ let out a cheerful squeal and it shook Logan awake.

"Ah! What…" Logan looked around and then noticed Derek and Julain at the door. "Oh, hey, see, she's alive!" Logan held up EJ who squealed excitedly. Derek stepped forward and lifted EJ up, tossing her in the air.

"Hey there supergirl, I see you threw a wild party and trashed the apartment…" Derek said, kissing the side of her head. "Why is she sticky?"

"I can honestly say I have no clue, I think it's food…" Logan said from the couch. Julian couldn't help himself and he burst out laughing. "Shut up Jules," Logan threw a rubber ball at his boyfriend.

"Someone is cranky, and it's not the baby." Julain teased and he bent over to lift Logan off the ground and wrap his arms around him. "We're glad you survived."

"Yeah, thanks Logan, I owe you one," Derek said. Even though the apartment was trashed, EJ seemed fine, happy even (but Derek liked to think that was because he was home.)

"I'm dragging him to bed to sleep," Julian said. "See you in the morning D," Julian literally dragged Logan across the apartment to their room and threw him on the bed. "You smell like baby powder Lo," Julian teased as he removed his shirt and pants and crawled into bed. He spooned Logan and kissed his temple.

"I missed you," Logan admitted quietly. "I will admit, that was the longest week of my life."

"Derek only left you with EJ for 3 days," Julian pointed out.

"I meant being away from you," Logan said. "At least while babysitting EJ I had company." Julain kissed Logan gently and snuggled into his back.

"Maybe next time you can come with me," he said. "Because I missed you too."

Derek picked up the toys and clothes and threw them in their necessary baskets. EJ babbled happily, apparently telling Derek about her week with Logan, or so he assumed. He washed out the jars and put them on the counter and then changed EJ before putting her in her crib.

"I bet your sleep schedule is all off now," Derek said, wondering if he was going to spend the whole night trying to get EJ to fall asleep. EJ crawled across her bed and reached through the bars toward Logan's piano. "No no no, don't touch that Emma," Derek said. He went to move it but noticed a post-it with his name on it.

_Derek – for instant sleep gratification. You're welcome in advance – Logan_

Derek pressed play and a recording came out of the keyboard.

"_Fate is kind, it brings to those who love_

_The sweet fulfillment of_

_Their secret longing…_

_Like a bolt out of the blue_

_Fate steps in and sees you through_

_When you wish upon a star_

_Your dreams come true."_

Derek watched as EJ instantly became sleepy and curled into herself on the mattress. "You've got to be kidding me," Derek whispered. As the song played and EJ fell asleep, Derek practically skipped into the back room and kissed Logan on the cheek.

"I always knew we'd turn him…" Julian teased.

"Logan Wright you can babysit whenever you want, you're a genius," Derek said and he ran out of the room, closing the door behind him. Julian looked to Logan for an explaination, but Logan could only laugh in response.

That night, four very exhausted people fell asleep to the sound of Logan Wright's rendition of "When You Wish Upon A Star."

It easily became one of EJ's favorite songs.


	5. Chapter 5

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Four:

"Just put her crib in your room until the movie is over," Logan said to Derek as EJ stood up in her crib, smiling and playing.

"But then she'll wake up when I go to bed!" Derek whined.

"No she won't, that kid sleeps through anything," Logan said as he winked at Julian.

"Just because she can sleep through you two fucking like monkeys…" Derek grumbled, but he pushed the crib into his room, followed by Logan's keyboard so that she'd fall asleep.

"She needs her own room," Derek said, dragging his feet and hopping on the couch between Julian and Logan.

"I vote you move into the living room," Julian said quickly, pressing his finger to his nose. Logan mimicked Julian and Derek shook his head.

"Really? I live with two eight year olds and a…" Derek though for a minute. "How old is EJ now? What's the date today?"

"September third," Julian said, looking at his watch. "Closing in on the fourth in a few hours." Derek grabbed Julian's wrist and turned the watch toward him.

"Shit," Derek said. "Shit shit shit."

"WHAT?" Julian and Logan said together.

"Tomorrow is EJ's birthday!" Derek said. "Why did I forget that."

"You're lucky she's not turning 13 or something, she'd kill you…" Logan said. "Why was I thinking her birthday was in December."

"Because we GOT her in December," Julian said. "Remember, D wasn't exactly at the hospital when she was born…"

"What do we do for a one-year-old's birthday?" Derek said.

* * *

><p>"Booster shots?" Derek asked his mother the next day as she was changing EJ on the changing table. "My first birthday you took me to have booster shots?"<p>

"You HAVE been following up on Emma's haven't you?" Derek's mother scolded.

"Yes mom, every time you call me and say '_make sure Emma stays healthy, bring her to the doctor Derek_'," Derek mimicked.

"She needs yearly ones, your birthday is just a good way to remember," she lifted EJ up and placed the baby on her hip. "There we are, all clean!" She kissed EJ's forehead and then handed the baby to Derek who clung to him happily. "She's really taken to you, isn't she?"

"Well I am her dad," Derek said. "You know, prepared or not, she's survived a year. Well, nine months since Hannah dropped her off here..." Derek held EJ close as the baby babbled happily. "Course, I couldn't do it without Logan and Julian."

"Where are those two anyway?" Derek's mother looked around. Derek actually didn't know. They had slipped out when his mother arrived. EJ squirmed and Derek put her down, heading over to the TV and hitting play so she could continue watching Peter Pan.

The front door swung open and in walked Logan and Julian. "Hello lovelies!" Julian announced. "We've arrived with sustenance!"

"We bought food last week," Derek said, confused.

"Cake," Logan clarified. "We bought cake." They held out the pink box and placed it on the counter. "I told Jules we probably didn't need a cake that she wasn't going to remember…"

"EJ deserves cake, she's had to put up with us for so long," Julian said, tickling the little girl. "Isn't that right Supergirl?"

"I think he was just looking for an excuse to have cake," Logan said and he took the box to the kitchen.

That night, the five of them ate birthday cake. EJ honestly looked confused beyond belief when they placed the slice of cake in front of her, and Julian blew out the candle quickly before she grabbed the flame. She was now smashing the cake into the high chair tray, spreading chocolate frosting all over her face.

"Very attractive E," Julian said with a laugh. EJ just laughed happily. Derek tried to clean her face with a napkin, but EJ retaliated and spread chocolate across his cheek.

"Nice look Bear," Logan said, laughing as Derek tried to wipe some of the frosting on Logan.

"I'd say she's ready for a bath and some sleep, but we're all in her room, aren't we?" Derek's mother said.

"Oh we're taking care of that," Julian said as he washed down the last of his cake with a glass of milk.

"Are we now?" Derek said. He didn't remember this conversation.

"Yeah, Logan and I found a place," Julian and Logan smirked as Derek choked on his cake.

"You can't leave me alone!" Derek said. Wasn't he JUST telling his mother that he would not have been able to survive so long with EJ if it hadn't been for Logan and Julian, and now they were basically abandoning him?

"But it's such a great place Derek!" Logan insisted. "And then EJ can move into our old room."

"But, but…" Derek sputtered.

"Lo, why don't we show them the place," Jules suggested. "It may make poor Derek feel better." Julian jumped up from his seat and then unlatched EJ from her highchair, wiping off her hands and face. "Come on now," Julian said as he walked out the door, followed closely by Logan. Derek and his mother exchanged a look and then got up to follow.

The trip wasn't long. It was less than a minute, in fact, when Logan pulled the key to his and Julian's apartment out of his pocket and unlocked the door to the apartment next-door to Derek's. "You've got to be kidding me," Derek said. The apartment was the exact same as Derek's only flipped.

"We bought it yesterday?" Logan asked Julian who nodded.

"We figured, we couldn't actually LEAVE you two," Julian held EJ tight and kissed her cheek. "We love EJ too much."

"But EJ did need her own room," Logan said. "And eventually, we WOULD need our own place…"

"We figured, we could probably combine our kitchens…" Julian said. "Because both of ours are crap, we could make one big good kitchen, and then…" Julian pretended to karate kick the far wall. "Open that up to combine the apartments." Julian and Logan looked at Derek with expectant eyes. "So?"

Derek walked over to his best friends and pulled them both in for a hug, laughing as they did. EJ giggled and reached away from Julian to grab onto Derek and he lifted her up in the air.

Mrs. Seigerson took a picture with her phone; thank god Amanda taught her how.

"Happy birthday EJ, and congratulations boys," she said quietly to herself. She had never seen them grow so much as they had right now.

* * *

><p>"EJ stop fussing," Derek said as the one year old struggled in his lap. "I don't like the doctor either okay, just chill." They were at Holy Trinity Hospital in the Pediatrics wing waiting for her booster shots. EJ must have somehow affiliated this place with shots, because she was instantly unhappy the moment he sat down in the waiting room. She cried and reached out, trying to get away, and Derek held her like he was fumbling a football. "Emma June I swear…"<p>

"Emma Seigerson?" the receptionist called out. Derek stood up and carried EJ who fussed even harder. Derek felt horrible.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry," he whispered to her as he followed the nurse to a room in the back.

"Just the booster then? She's been feeling okay?" The nurse seemed unfazed by EJ's crying as she read over the chart. "She's up to date on everything?"

"Yes," Derek said as he struggled with EJ trying to climb over his head. She was panicked now and Derek wished he had a traveling version of Logan's Lullaby to calm her down. "Come on EJ, it's going to be okay." Derek looked at the nurse.

"Alright, come here sweetie," the nurse said. She reached out for EJ, but the baby just screeched and held onto Derek's neck.

"I got her," Derek said. He place EJ on the table and held her hands in his. She was breathing hard and tears streamed down her face. "It's okay baby girl I have you," Derek cooed, calming her down. He turned her head away from her left arm as the nurse readied the syringe. "It's okay EJ; everything's going to be fine, I'm right here…"

"All done," the nurse said cheerfully. She put a circle band-aid on EJ's arm and disposed of the needle. "We'll see her in 6 months," she said cheerfully.

"Thank you," Derek said. "See EJ, all done," he lifted his daughter in the air and she giggled. They walked out of the Pediatric wing and rode the elevator down. Now that they were leaving, EJ was in a much better mood. "Oh sure…" He said as he exited the elevator into the main lobby of the hospital. "Now that we're leaving you're a totally different person, aren't you Emma June?"

"Derek?" The voice caught him off guard. Derek spun around to see a woman with short blond hair watching him, her clear blue eyes large. She was wearing a grey sweat suit and a pink breast cancer awareness t-shirt. It took Derek a minute to figure out how he knew the woman, but when realization struck, he almost dropped EJ.

"Hannah."


	6. Chapter 6

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Five:

"Hannah?" Julian said as he sat on the counter in the kitchen, feeding Gerber crackers to EJ. "Like, Hannah super-bitch mother of EJ Hannah."

"How many Hannah's do we actually know Jules?" Derek asked as he paced the floor.

"Logan's going to freak," Julian said.

"I'm surprised you're not throwing pots across the room, you spent our first few months with EJ cursing Hannah's name daily."

"Well no good mother leaves their kid on a doormat," Julian said. "I'm just saying…"

"I know, I know, and I won't hold you back when she comes here tonight…" Derek winced.

"She's WHAT?" Julian jumped off the counter. EJ looked up at her uncle and then slid forward. Derek caught her as she reached the end of the counter.

"Well what did you expect me to do?" Derek said. "She's EJ's mom…"

"No she's not!" Julian stamped. "She's her mother, there's a difference." Julian looked at EJ sadly. "What if she comes here and whatever freaked her out doesn't freak her out anymore and she wants EJ back." Derek looked at EJ, who was currently trying to put a cracker in Derek's ear.

"Julian, I'm not going to let that happen." He said as he flipped EJ upside-down and the little girl laughed loudly. "I love her too much; I'm not going to let it happen."

Julian watched the two as Derek laughed playfully. He knew Derek would do his best, try his best if Hannah did try to take EJ back.

But would his best be enough?

* * *

><p>"No," Logan paced. Why was Julian always watching people pace? "What the hell is she doing here?"<p>

"She wants to explain…" Julian tried.

"Explain?" Logan yelled, red in the face. "No, there is no explaining! She can't just waltz into EJ's life, into OUR lives…"

"I know," Julian said. He stepped in front of Logan to keep him from pacing the floor. He put his hands on Logan's shoulders. "I know."

"Why are you so calm?" Logan asked. "You hate her too, last I checked." Julian pointed over his shoulder at a wall and Logan noticed a big dent and cracked sheetrock.

"I figured we were knocking down the wall anyway," Julian shrugged. "So I threw a frying pan at it. It was Derek's idea…"

"And funny enough, I used to be the angry one…" Logan hugged Julian tight and Julian put his head on Logan's shoulder.

"She's not going anywhere," Julian said. Logan nodded.

"I agree, but when Hannah gets here, you're staying away from the frying pans."

* * *

><p>"What are you doing?" Derek looked at EJ curiously as she pushed herself up on her feet, using the couch as support. He of course, knew completely what she was doing. She had been trying to walk for a couple weeks now, and Derek didn't dare interfere with the intense look on EJ's face as she tried to figure out the one foot in front of the other.<p>

The door knocked. Obviously, it wasn't Julian or Logan, since they had keys. Was she here already? He checked his watch and answered the door.

"I'm going to hit her with a brick," Amanda said as Derek reached the door. Derek sighed at the sight of his 16 year old sister.

"Amanda!" Derek didn't know how to react. "Why aren't you at school?" He had dropped her off at Dobry last week.

"Um, because A) it's Saturday, and B) the Queen of Stupid is coming here and you weren't telling me?"

"Queen of Stupid?" Derek repeated with a grin.

"I have crueler names for Hannah, but EJ's here," Amanda said and she made her way past her brother toward her niece. "Hey E!"She said, lifting EJ up. "How's my favorite niece."

"She's your only niece," Derek pointed out as he closed the door and sat back on the couch.

"That you know of," Amanda added playfully with a wink. Derek rolled his eyes and sat back in his seat as Amanda played with EJ. "So what's going to happen?"

"We're going to talk," Derek said. "I think after a little bit EJ is going over to Julian and Logan's place. Hannah doesn't deserve to spend time with her."

"Oh good, you do have some malice in you," Amanda said with a grin. She put EJ on her hip and went to the kitchen to grab a soda. "If it makes you feel better, Mom is glad you're giving Hannah a chance…"

"I'm not giving her a chance," Derek said. "A chance to explain, yes, but not a chance to be Emma's mom," there was another knock at the door. Amanda peeked out from the kitchen as Derek went to answer it.

"Don't give EJ to that horrid bitch," Parker said as Derek opened the door. Derek sighed. Parker and James were standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, you have to keep EJ, Derek," James said. "She makes you happy."

"Aren't you…" he pointed to James, about to ask him the same question he asked Amanda. "How did you…" he looked up to Parker. "Hold on," he walked past them to the door next door and pounded on it. "Logan, Julian, STOP CALLING PEOPLE!" Julian and Logan came out of their apartment, angelic and innocent smiles on their faces.

"Oh hey, nice to see you!" Logan waved to the Oscosona's in the door way. They walked across the hall to Derek's apartment and led the other two inside. "Hey Amanda!" they said cheerfully.

"What are you two doing?" Derek crossed his arms.

"Making sure you don't do anything stupid," Julian said. "Derek, we love you to death, but we don't think it's a good idea to have Hannah come."

"She's not a good mom," Amanda said. "Anyone who leaves their child on a doorstep is not a good mom."

"We just don't want her to come in a ruin everything you built with EJ just to tear it down again," Parker said. James looked among everyone and then back to Derek.

"Just don't let her take EJ away," Logan said.

"I have no intention of taking Emma away from anyone…" Everyone turned toward the door. Hanna stood there, in jeans and a red-tee-shirt. Her hair was tied back and she looked pale. Six pairs of eyes were focused on her. EJ didn't care really; she just wanted Amanda to put her down. "I just want to explain…" Everyone stood there without moving. Derek turned toward them.

"To me, she's going to explain to ME," he pointed to the door. "Everyone goes to Logan and Julian's, now," he pointed.

"But we don't even have furniture…" Julian said. "Or a TV!" But Derek wouldn't change his mind. "Fine, come on guys," They marched in line out the door. Everyone put a comforting hand on Derek's shoulder and sent a glare to Hannah as they walked down across the hall to Logan and Julian's apartment. Last in Line was Amanda, still carrying her niece.

"I'm taking her with me," Amanda said, looking straight at Hannah. Hannah didn't move or say a word, and the sixteen year old stormed right past her.

"What are we going to do now?" Logan said as the five of them stood in the bare apartment. Julian pointed over to the crack in the wall.

"How often does Derek complain about paper thin walls in this building?"

"I guess I'm not anyone's favorite person," Hannah tried to joke as Derek invited her inside.

"Hannah, you left a three month old baby on a doorstep. You _abandoned_ your daughter, you didn't even TELL me about her…" He had planned not to get angry, to let Hannah explain herself, but just the thought of it made his hands shake. "Did you think of the consequences? What if I wasn't there anymore? Did you even use your head?"

"I…"

"I mean, you should have told me when you were pregnant Hannah! Do you realize that?"

"I do." Hannah was calm, and it was actually a little unnerving.

"You do? Then why the fuck didn't you?"

"Way to go D," Julian said as he, Logan, Parker, James, and Amanda pressed their ears up against the wall around the crack where Julian had thrown the pan that morning.

"Derek, you didn't even remember my name the last time you saw me," she said. "I spent the night, we had our fun, and I went home the next day. Don't feel bad about it; I didn't want to remember you either."

"Hannah," Derek interrupted her. "I just want to know why you didn't tell me you were pregnant. I don't want to hear this list of excuses, okay?"

"I didn't want you to be a part of it," Hannah said quietly. "If Andrew hadn't come back into my life, you never would have found out about Emma."

"Who the fuck is Andrew?" Derek, Logan, and Julian said simultaneously. "Hannah hesitated.

"He was my husband." She deadpanned.

"That bitch!" Parker yelled. Everyone looked at her. "Oh come on. They split up, she has sex with Derek, gets pregnant, and he suddenly takes her back?" Parker sighed. "I may teach preschool, but I'm not stupid."

"That can't be the whole story though," James said.

"Right, because Hannah was going to raise Emma as a single mom," she said. "It said so in the note."

"So what happened," Derek said, dismissing the husband part for now. "How did EJ get here?"

"I was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was seven months pregnant," she said. "But I couldn't take any medication because it would hurt Emma."

"I'm sorry she has cancer, but I'm still going to throw a brick at her," Amanda said. Logan shushed her.

"It wasn't fair to her, once she was born, to have a mom who was so sick, who couldn't take care of her and had no one else to support her." Hannah sat on a chair and Derek sat across from her, listening. "So I came by here, a couple weeks after Emma was born. But you had…" Hannah blushed slightly, "…company."

"Oh," Derek said. Just 'oh.' He waited for her to continue.

"I considered leaving her at the hospital; I considered dropping her off in a foster home…" Hannah wouldn't meet Derek's eyes. "But for some reason I just knew she had to go to you. So I placed her and everything you needed on your front doorstep and I sat at the end of the hall and waited until you opened the door.

"To be honest, I didn't think you'd keep her," Hannah admitted. "But I figured, you should probably get some sort of decision about her." Derek just stared at the blonde woman across from him. "I know you hate me. I hate me. I'm not here for your forgiveness; I'm just here to explain."

"I don't hate you," Derek said.

"What the fuck, D, I hate her!" Logan yelled.

"EJ is the most important thing in the world to me, you gave me that." Derek explained. "And I'm sorry you're sick," he eyed her for a moment. "Are you still sick, I mean you have…"

"I stopped Chemo, I'm just waiting it out now…" she said.

"Again, I'm sorry you're sick. But I do think you handled this the worst way possible. You could have done so much better."

"Guys," James, who had gotten slightly bored with the conversation, had been sitting on the floor with EJ for the past ten minutes.

"James shut it," Parker said.

"But guys!"

"I'm hoping Derek tells Hannah to go to hell," Julian said.

"Can you say that to someone who's dying?" Logan asked. Julian and Amanda shrugged.

"Guys LOOK!" they turned around to look at EJ and James.

"I don't want you to come back," Derek said. "You're not a part of EJ's life any…what the hell?" there was banging on the wall, the one that connected the apartments. "What the…"

"DEREK COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! HURRY UP ITS AN EMERGENCY!" choruses of yelling came through the wall and, panicked, Derek got out of his chair and ran out of the apartment, barging into Julian and Logan's looking immediately for EJ.

"What? What is it? What happened?" Derek said quickly. Everyone pointed down to EJ who was standing up and using James as support.

"Go on EJ, go to Daddy," James said, pointing the little girl in the right direction. EJ's hands flailed out in front of her. Derek quickly calmed down and took a knee, grinning at EJ.

"Come her EJ," Derek said, holding out his arms. EJ took one step and paused, then another. "Atta girl, come on," EJ's face was very concentrated as she waddled over to Derek. Seven steps right to her and Derek whooped and lifted her into the air. "Way to go Emma!" Derek cried. EJ giggled happily as her father swung her around happily. "Let's do it again, come on!" He put her on the floor on her feet and his friends sat around them, calling for her to walk over to them next.

Hannah stood at the door, leaning against the doorway. Without a word she stepped back and turned down the hall, taking the stairs without even saying goodbye.

Derek may have said that she had done everything wrong. And really, she had. But looking at Emma – EJ – and seeing how happy she was with her new, slightly strange but loving family, she knew she had made the right decision.


	7. Chapter 7

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Six:

"What is she doing?" Logan asked, looking up from his keyboard. EJ was walking around the apartment, babbling happily. This was normal.

The 13-month old child walking BACKWARDS, that was unusual.

"I don't know, she just does that…" Derek said with a laugh. "It started yesterday." Derek held up a plastic bottle of formula. "EJ, you want food?" EJ responded to her father and walked backwards to Derek holding up her hands. Derek handed the bottle to her and she plopped down on the ground, drinking the formula. Julian marched in the door at that moment and held an envelope above his head.

"They're here!" He announced excitedly. The actor kissed the top of Logan's head and waved the envelope in his face. ".Here!"

"What's here?" Derek asked. Julian and Logan looked at each other for a moment guiltily.

"Logan!" Julian rolled his eyes and fell back on the couch. "Stupid Squid, you told me you told him yesterday!"

"Told me what?" Derek asked, but there was no point, the other two were in a heated argument.

"Well, I was going to, but I forgot…" Logan shrugged.

"Then why did you tell me last night that you did…"

"Because if I didn't we wouldn't have…"

"AH! Stop both of you," Derek said, sticking his fingers in his ears. "I don't want to hear it!" EJ looked up to her father, dropped her bottle, and put her hands on her ear. But where she looked confused, Derek looked annoyed. "I swear neither of you have a filter!"

"Sorry," Logan and Julian said together.

"We're going away," Logan said.

"What? But you just bought a freeking apartment!" Derek gestured to what was once their living room wall. Now it was their living room wall with a giant hole in it. "Where are you going?"

"Stop thinking we're leaving you forever Bear!" Julian laughed. "We're going to Hawaii, for a week. I'm shooting a couple of scenes on location and Logan's coming with me so they can paint next door." The three adults jumped as the construction workers next door turned on their power saw and cut more into the walls of the apartment.

EJ, they quickly learned, did NOT like the loud noise. She dropped her bottle a second time and began to scream. At first, Julian, Logan, and Derek thought she was competing to see who was the loudest. But then the tears would fall and they moved into action.

Julian swooped down and lifted EJ into the air, spinning her around and hugging her close. "It's alright supergirl, you're okay!" He cooed as Derek went and kicked the wall, telling the workers to stop. Julian bounced EJ around comfortingly as she wailed. "It's okay EJ, Uncle Julian is here." Logan watched from his keyboard affectionately as his boyfriend held EJ gently. The workers stopped and Derek yelled through the hole in the wall.

"I don't get them, they told us they'd warn us…" Derek said, frusterated. Julian handed EJ to Derek once she had calmed down slightly. "Hey EJ, it's okay," he held her up and smiled at her brightly. "Come on EJ, smile for Daddy please?" EJ sniffed, but she smiled at Derek and he tossed her up in the air. "There's my girl."

"I think today is the last day with power tools…" Julian said. "Cause they're painting right after we leave tomorrow."

"You're leaving tomorrow?" Derek nearly dropped EJ.

"Well SOMEONE was supposed to tell you…" Julian looked over to Logan. The songwriter feigned innocence and snapped on his headphones, turning back to the piano. "Stupid squid…"

"You love me," Logan pointed out with a smirk. Julian rolled his eyes and entered his room to pack.

"So, just you and me this week E," Derek said as EJ tugged on his ear and cheek. "We can handle that, right?"

* * *

><p>Apparently not. Raising EJ was definitely a three man job. And with Julian and Logan gone off on their sex-cation (which is what Derek had decided to call it) Derek was stuck with a hyper-active EJ that would randomly burst into tears whenever loud noises came from the apartment next door.<p>

Julian was wrong, they would be using power tools all week, and there was currently a safety cone in Derek's living room, sitting in front of a giant hole where they could look through to the other apartment.

"I'm going to strangle those two," Derek said. When the noise had stopped, EJ would run excitedly around the room. She recently learned that she could take toys and papers and such out of their respective bins and throw them on the floor.

"EJ!" Derek yelled. EJ ignored him, having fun being distructive. She reached into the DVD shelf, carelessly left unopened, and began to empty everything onto the floor.

"Seriously, if you break something else, Jules is going to kill me," Derek said. "What can't you just be good, EJ, come on!" EJ didn't listen however and ran across the house excitedly. Derek looked over at the archway of construction. EJ ran right toward it and Derek leapt ahead of her, grabbing the little girl around the waist and tucking her onto his hip. With his free hand, Derek pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number quickly.

"Hey, it's Derek…" He listened as the person on the other end greeted him. "I can't believe I'm asking this but…" He sighed deeply. "I need help."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you never go to the beach," Parker said as she walked with Derek on the sand, both following EJ who stumbled often and looked confused at the sand. This was obviously not the same kind of floor as the one in the apartment and she would momentarily get frustrated with it.<p>

"I used to wne I was a teenager, all the time," Derek said. "It's how I'd pick up girls. But I don't know, work got in the way, life…" He gestured down to EJ.

"I'd come here daily if I had the chance," Parker said. She looked out to the Ocean as waves crashed gently. The tide was low enough that the three of them could walk on the wet sand. One wave came up right to the edge of their toes. Derek quickly lifted up EJ before the water got her. As it rushed back past them, he dipped her feet, making EJ giggle happily.

"James is going nuts over the semi-finals next month," Parker said as they watched EJ tentatively walk toward the water, change her mind and walk back. "I'd tell him he needs more sleep, but apparently the press keeps calling the phone in his dorm…"

"They do? Why didn't anyone tell me?" Derek asked.

"Oh, I didn't think about it till now," Parker said. "I just told him to stop answering…"

"No, no, I'll take care of it," Derek said. "The press is just excited for when he makes it to the Olympics, he'll be the youngest swimmer to compete for America."

"You think he's good enough?" Parker asked. Derek nodded. "And here I was teaching my little brother how to swim. If I had known I was training an Olympic swimmer, I would have charged my parents." Derek let out a laugh. EJ squealed loudly and Derek and Parker saw the foam from the ocean come up around EJ as she sat in the stand.

"There's you're next student," Derek said. "Have at it." Parker grinned and lifted EJ off the ground.

"Hey E," she said, "Come on let's play," she spoke in her pre-school teacher voice. EJ clung onto her as they approached the ocean. Derek, trusting Parker with his daughter completely, moved onto dryer sand and sat down, taking out his phone to make a couple calls regarding James's swim trials.

As he stayed on the phone, he looked out at EJ and Parker playing happily in the water. Derek was glad that Parker had come to his aid, he could never have handled EJ this whole week on his own.

"Yeah, Hi, this is James Ocosona's Agent Derek Seigerson…" He was on the phone for no longer than ten minutes when Parker and EJ came up to him, both dripping wet. "Uh oh…" Derek said.

"Big wave," Parker laughed, dispite the fact that she was shaking violently. Derek pulled out EJs jacket from his backpack and wrapped her up in it.

"Here you go EJ," Derek said, wrapping her tight.

"Most of her is dry," Parker said, shivering. "I held her up out of the way." EJ snuggled close in her jacket. "She thought it was great." Derek stood up and looked at Parker for a moment before taking off his own jacket and handing it to her. She graciously took it and fumbled with the zipper before Derek took pity and did it for her. "Thanks," she shivered. "I always forget the ocean is so cold until…"

"Until you're soaked and freezing?" Parker nodded. "Why don't we head back? What do you say EJ?" Derek looked down at their feet, but there was no EJ there. "EJ?" Derek looked around, but there was no little one year old girl in a purple sweater.

"EJ!" Parker looked around too, suddenly panicked. Both faces turned directly toward the water as another wave crashed. Derek paled and ran toward the water.

"EMMA!" He called out. What was the point, she wasn't going to call back. His feet waded in the water as he looked around for a sign of her. Parker ran even deeper, already numb to the coldness of the ocean. She dove under water, but she couldn't see anything. Water pulled her forward, deeper, but two hands lifted her out safely.

Derek was now waist deep in the water, holding Parker out of the rip tide. "Where is she?" he asked, his face a pale white and his hair soaked into his eyes. Parker said nothing, just looking around frantically, hoping to see a sign of EJ anywhere. "I took my eyes off of her for one second, Parker, one second."

"She's around here Derek I'm sure," Parker was shaking still, but now more out of fear than chill. "EJ!"

"EJ!" Derek yelled out. One whole minute, 60 terrifying seconds later, Derek heard it, the most beautiful sound in the world.

It was a small girl giggling. Derek tuned around in the water and looked up onto shore.

There was EJ, giggling happily, sitting in the sand as a small dog on a leash licked her face and jumped around her. "Emma," Derek ran as fast as he could up to the sand and dropped onto his knees next to the little girl.

Derek couldn't help it, he cried as he wrapped his daughter in his arms and hugged her close to him. "Oh my god, oh my god…" Derek cried. "I thought I lost you, I thought I lost you." He cried uncontrollably, his whole body shaking from that terrifying moment.

"Bahhha!" EJ pointed to the puppy as it licked her face. Derek held her close. EJ seemed completely unaware that she had given her father a nervous breakdown. He sighed, still crying.

"Yeah, that's a puppy…" Derek said. "Good girl," hi kissed the top of EJ's head, bringing her close to his chest again. "Good girl."

* * *

><p>"Well, she's wiped out," Derek said as he left EJ's room, closing the door over and leaving it ajar so he could hear. "But I guess giving your dad a heart attack at 26 will do that to you." He sat on the sofa next to Parker, who was wearing a pair of Derek's sweats, a USC Soccer t-shirt, and holding two cups of coffee, one of which she handed to Derek.<p>

"Derek I'm so sorry about today," Parker said. Her voice was tight, like she was holding back tears of her own. She had driven his car back to the apartment as Derek held EJ in the backseat, afraid to let her go, even in the confined space of the car. "Its all my fault I shouldn't have brought you two to the beach…"

"It's not your fault," Derek said quickly. "Really, Parker, it's not. I'm just not used to how quick she is yet. I should have kept a better eye on her." Derek put his coffee on the table and put his head in his hands. "I never would have forgiven myself if something had happened to her…" he whispered. Parker patted his back comfortingly.

"I don't know how anyone does parenting by themselves," Derek said. "I'm alone with EJ for less than a week and she nearly drowns in the freeking Pacific!" He quickly stood up and EJ jumped back a little at the outburst.

"Derek…"

"What was Hannah thinking that I could do this?" Derek asked, looking straight at Parker. "Because I can't, not alone. And it's not fair to Jules and Logan that I depend on them so much, they deserve to have their own life, you know. They shouldn't have to go to Hawaii to get some freeking time alone!" He was shaking. "I can't do this…I can't do this…" Parker jumped up and went to Derek as he looked down at his shoes.

"Derek Seigerson look at me," he didn't move, so Parker put her hands on his face and lifted it up until his eyes met hers. "You're an amazing dad. Hannah knew that. She knew you would be a hundred times better of a parent than she ever would be. Today…today was terrifying, but you know what? It turned out okay. EJ is alright, she's safe and home with you, and it just showed even more how much you love that little girl." She moved her hands to his shoulders and shook him gently. "So don't you dare say you're a bad father Derek, because as a teacher I've seen hundreds of dads, and not one of them has more adoration for their child like you do for Emma June."

It was silent for a moment. Derek stared at Parker, taking in everything she said. Then suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight like he had with EJ at the beach.

"Thank you Parker," Derek said.

"Any time Super-Dad," she teased. Derek gave her a funny look. "What? She's supergirl, isn't she? Obviously after what I saw today, you're Super-Dad."


	8. Chapter 8

_Raising EJ_ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Seven:

"EJ, stop! No," Derek once thought it would be difficult to say no to his daughter; she was much too adorable to deny her anything. But on days like today, when they were in a mass of hundreds of people, 'no' seemed to be his favorite word.

Currently, 14-month old EJ was trying to wonder away. She fussed every time Derek or anyone else picked her up, but she had almost been trampled twice, and Derek was already getting nervous about his job he had to do today.

Today was the National Swim Finals, conviently hosted in LA. James Ocosona was the favorite among fans, but was he good enough for the Olympic team next summer?

Those were the questions being thrown at Derek as he waited outside to bring James into the pool safely. But he couldn't possibly give out level headed answers with EJ running around like crazy.

"Emma, come here!" he snatched her and pulled her off the ground. Annoyed, EJ started to fake cry, which was a new game of hers that drove the boys crazy. "Don't start with that, where are your uncles, huh? They're supposed to take care of you today, you know?" Just then, a familiar brunette got out of a car in front and walked up the stairs to the pool. "Parker!"

"Hey D," she smiled up at him. "I was actually sent to look for you."

"Why?" he asked as EJ struggled and grabbed at his face. "Ow!"

"James won't get out of the car," Parker frowned. "Brandon and I have been trying to get him out for 15 minutes now…"

"Brandon?"

"My boyfriend," she explained. "Here, I'll take EJ, send Brandon up and we'll get our seats. You should try talking to James, he listens to you." EJ went into Parker's arms easily. Derek made a face, but he then gave Parker directions to meet her parents, Julian, and Logan inside. He walked down the stairs and found the Ocosona's car. Leaning against the side was a tall man (taller than Derek anyway) with short blonde hair and crystal blue eyes. He wore a blazer and jeans and a white t-shirt underneath.

"Whoa man, J-dog here doesn't need any more cameras in his face, get out f here," the guy said as Derek approached.

"You must be Brandon," great, this was going to be really hard for Derek to pretend to like him.

"Yeah I am…" he seemed taken aback.

"He's my manager you idiot! Seriously, I'm 20, I don't need a babysitter!" Derek could hear James yelling from inside the SUV.

"Sorry man, just making sure," Brandon ignored James's yelling. "Brandon Campos," he offered a hand.

"Derek Seigerson." Derek shook the hand. "Here, I have James, we'll see you inside." He waited until Brandon was far enough away and then knocked on the SUV door. "James, it's me, open up."

"I quit, I don't want to do this," James said from inside the car.

"Where's the cocky kid who told me he was going to win all those medals?" Silence. "James, open the door." There was another long pause before the door slowly opened. James's head was shiny; he had just waxed it in preparation for the race. He wore a red American Appeal jacket, his hood down, shades covering his anxious brown eyes. Music blared out of his headphones, but they were wrapped around his neck.

"I don't want to talk to reporters or anybody," James said.

"Good thing that's my job," Derek said.

"What if I screw up," he asked. "What if I have a false start, or my goggles fall off and I can't see so I hit the wall? What if I don't finish Derek?"

"James, I've seen you race a million times," Derek said. "You're going to do great." James's face was pale, but he nodded and took a breath. "Alright, now, what's your pre-game routine?"

"Shave head, charge iPod, breakfast burrito," James said. "Check, check, check."

"Good, you got all your gear?" He wasn't sure how a cap, a Speedo, and a set of goggles were 'gear' but he was starting to get swimming well enough to know they were irreplaceable.

"Check," James said.

"Great, your race is in 3 hours, let's get inside, yeah?" James nodded and slipped his headphones over his ears. He gave Derek a thumbs up and shifted his duffle onto his shoulder and his hood on his head. As the pair walked up to the pool, cameramen and reporters began to swarm.

"James, are you ready for today's race?...Are you intimidated that there are swimmers here who have been to the Olympics before?...James what did you have for breakfast this morning?" Derek did his best to deflect questions as they hurried inside, but the last question caught James off-guard and he laughed.

"Breakfast burrito bro!" James said, holding up a roll of foil in his hand. Derek laughed, but he tugged James inside the pool area.

Derek's nose scrunched up, "I hate the smell of chlorine."

"I love it," just being in the pool alone made James seem 10 times happier. Derek shook his head.

"Come on J-dog," James scowled. "Let's get you signed in, huh?"

* * *

><p>"Come on SuperGirl, you gotta chill out!" Julian was struggling with EJ as he and Logan sat together on the platform looking down on the pool. The baby fussed and wiggled and screeched and Julian almost dropped her twice.<p>

"Someone switched out Sweet-angel EJ and replaced her with Exorcist EJ," Logan said as he dangled a toy in EJ's face. EJ took it, looked at it, and threw it on the ground. Logan sighed. Derek came up the stairs toward them and EJ screeched out, stretching her arms toward him.

"Alright alright!" Derek sighed. He pulled EJ too him, relieving Julian of going deaf. EJ instantly calmed down and snuggled into Derek lovingly.

"Well she hates us," Logan shrugged. Julian frowned.

"No, she just," Derek squirmed as EJ dug her nails into his throat, "is doing this separation anxiety thing. She's panicking if I'm not around for her to whine too," as if to prove his point, EJ pulled back and wiggled, reaching toward the ground. Derek put her down and blocked the end of the row so that EJ couldn't escape. Defeated by her father's feet, EJ turned and walked down to the end of the row where Parker, Brandon, and Mr. and Mrs. Ocosona sat. Parker smiled at EJ as she blocked the other end. Brandon patted the top of EJ's head, making Derek scowl slightly.

"Bummer she has a boyfriend huh?" Logan asked. Julian punched him in the arm. "Ow, I was just saying…"

"Saying what?" Derek asked. "What, me and Parker…no," he waved it off and then tried to look intently at the pool beneath them.

"You like her Der," Julian said. "We can tell."

"Yeah, you're not even dating like the old Derek anymore," Logan added.

"That's because dates I've been on recently end with 'Oh, you have a one year old, that's…interesting' and then they ditch me from the bathroom." Derek threw up his hands.

"See, that's why Parker is perfect for you," Logan said. "She already loves EJ."

"And she works with kids all the time," Julian added.

"Guys," Derek stopped them. "She has a boyfriend, get over it." But even as he said it, the scowl came back on his face.

"What's up D?" the three of them looked up to see Parker holding EJ.

"Why does she never fuss when _you_ hold her?" Derek asked as EJ smiled gleefully.

"Because I'm awesome," Parker replied with a laugh. "I thought I'd sit with you, explain the race and stuff?"

"How hard can it be? You get in the water, first to the wall wins, right?" Logan asked. Julian punched him again. "Ow Jules!"

"Shut up Lo!" Parker looked at them curiously.

"Sometimes they're very mature 26 year olds, and the rest of the time they're five," Derek explained. "You don't want to watch the race with your parents and your bo…Brandon?"

"Mom and Dad get a little scary-competitive," Parker grinned. "And Brandon," she looked back. Brandon was playing a game on his phone, completely ignorant of what was going on around him. "Brandon is here more for moral support…" Derek kept his judgments to himself and scooted over to give Parker a place to sit. She sat and EJ reached out to Derek, who took her and cradled her close. Derek reached in his bag and pulled out a plastic bag of goldfish, putting a couple in his hand for EJ to pick at.

"Alright, James's race is up next," Parker said, looking out to the swimmers set around the blocks. "He's doing the 200 IM, so he does a 50 of each stroke."

"50 what, laps?" Derek asked.

"God no, that would be exhausting," Parker laughed. "Meters, and this is an Olympic sized pool, so he goes once down backstroke, once back butterfly, another down breaststroke, and then finishes with freestyle." She pointed back and forth.

"There he is!" Mrs. Ocosona yelled, pointing to a small figure at lane six.

"He looks so little," Parker said, scanning the other racers.

"Um, your brother is taller than me," Derek said. "He's just younger than them."

"God I hope he wins," Parker said. James took a deep breath and jumped into the pool, setting himself up on the starting block. "Oh," Parker reached over and covered EJ's ears.

"What are you…" BANG! The starting gun shot and Derek jumped. EJ giggled as she bounced in her father's lap and ate another goldfish. James was swimming at a steady pace, half way across the pool and already in the lead. He did a flipturn at the wall and pushed off at a steady stride before starting the next stroke.

"That looks exhausting," Julian said. "James does this for fun?"

"Shut up," Derek reached around Parker and flicked Julian's ear.

"Yeah, he's the five year old," Parker teased. She looked back to James, eyes flicking between the clock and her brother. "Come on James!" she yelled out, clapping her hands together. EJ watched Parker and then clapped her own hands together, looking up at Derek with a toothy grin. Derek kissed the top of her head.

James was now on the breaststroke, the slowest stroke, and he was neck and neck with Mitchell Maguire, the hot shot gold medalist from last summer Olympics. They hit the wall and shot off. Parker had jumped up and leaned over the railing, watching the swimmers. No one cared about who was coming in behind Ocosona and Maguire, all focus was on them. 25 meters to go and Derek had to grip onto EJ so as to not drop her in excitement.

A hand touched a wall, the buzzer rang, cheering screamed and echoed off the pool walls. James Ocosona nearly drowned in shock.

He had won. Everyone was cheering loudly, screaming at the top of her lungs. EJ placed her hand over her ears, pouting her lip. Parker bent down and lifted EJ up.

"Don't be sad Emma," Parker smiled at the little girl. "We're going to the Olympics!" Parker happily spun EJ around, making the toddler laugh. Derek leaned against the rail, watching Parker and EJ with a soft smile on his face.

Logan nudged Julian. "He's in trouble," Logan pointed.

"Oh yeah," Julian nodded. "Big time."

* * *

><p>EJ napped lightly on the couch as Derek made himself dinner that evening. The TV was on mute as they replayed James's race from earlier. Derek couldn't believe they were going to the Olympics. The Olympics! Derek had managed a handful of impressive athletes, but this one topped the books for him.<p>

"D, you here?" Logan walked through the arch in the wall between his apartment and Derek's. He was dressed in a suit and tie, his black shoes were shined and his hair was slicked back.

"Looking good Wright," Derek said with a grin as he flipped the grilled cheese sandwich on the burner. "You or Jules?"

"Julian. He's got some opening night party…thing, I don't know. I just get to go play arm candy for the night." Logan shrugged as Julian came in behind him and wrapped his arms around Logan's waist.

"Hello there beautiful," Julian said, kissing Logan's cheek. Derek rolled his eyes at his best friends and then turned to his meal, turning off the burner and putting his sandwich on a plate. "Oh Derek, don't feel left out," Julian laughed, capturing Derek in a hug and kissing his cheek.

"Ahh! Jules let me go!" Derek squirmed. Logan and Julian laughed as Derek wiped his hand on his cheek.

"Ready to go Logan?" Julian asked.

"Yeah, but you should have told me about your new fashion statement…" Logan pointed down for Julian to notice that he was in his tux coat and shirt, socks, dress shoes, but no pants.

"Oh shit, pants," Julian leapt past them back to their apartment, leaving Logan and Derek to laugh at his expense.

"I'm in love with an idiot." Logan shook his head. "Good luck with EJ tonight, huh?"

"Yeah, she's tired, we're both going to bed early," Derek said. "Get me Julian Larson's autograph, will you? That would be the coolest thing ever!"

"Oh my god I know right!" Logan laughed. He patted Derek's back, still smiling. "See you tomorrow D."

"See you." He heard them leaving, Julian mumbling something about 'who needs pants anyway…' and they were gone. Derek chuckled and shook his head and sat in the living room next to EJ as she started to wake up.

"Hey trouble," Derek smiled. He helped her sit up next to him and broke off a small piece of his dinner. "Want some?" EJ took it and ate, so did Derek.

"Who needs a girlfriend like Parker huh?" He wouldn't lie; the thought had been in his head all day. But he couldn't get the picture of her so overjoyed, tossing EJ in the air happily at the end of James's race out of his mind. "She's happy with that Brandon guy I guess, so we're happy too." He gave EJ another piece of sandwich. "Right?" EJ just ate her food. "Right. Let's watch a movie huh? What do you want?"

Logan and Julian came home late, well after midnight. The light was still on in Derek's part of the apartment and they went to investigate. The Main Menu for Peter Pan played on repeat on Derek's TV screen. Derek and EJ were fast asleep. EJ was comfortably wrapped in Derek's arms as he lay back on the sofa.

Silently, Julian stepped forward and took EJ. Still sleeping, Derek tried to pull her back. "Derek, she's safe, I have her, go to sleep," Julian said as he picked EJ up and Derek reluctantly let go. Julian tucked EJ into her crib and when he came out, Logan had thrown a blanket over Derek.

When finished, Logan and Julian walked hand in hand back to their apartment and crawled into bed. "Love you Logan," Julian said. "Can we have that one day?" Julian asked sleepily.

"What, another party? You have to wear pants again…"

"Ruin all my fun," Logan laughed as Julian snuggled into him. "An EJ…"

"You want a baby?" Julian was sleep talking now, and he mumbled an affirmative into Logan's chest.

"I want a family Lo…" Julian mumbled.

Logan thought to a black box locked away in his desk drawer. One day it will be legal in California for them to have everything Julian was asking for. And that very day, Logan made a silent promise he would give all of that to Julian.


	9. Chapter 9

Raising EJ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Eight:

Julian sat at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal and looking thoughtfully at EJ eating her breakfast. Well, she was more inclined to throw the food rather than eat it, but Julian was hardly one to notice. EJ just happily threw her food across the recently finished kitchen, making a mess while her Uncle Julian's mind wandered.

"Jules!" Logan called out. Julian snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at Logan.

"What?" Julian looked at Logan who was clearly trying very hard not to laugh. "What?" he repeated. Logan pointed down to Julian's chest and the actor looked down to see a big glob of baby cereal on his shirt.

"Bit distracted this morning love?" Logan asked. Julian took a towel and wiped off his shirt. Julian nodded. Logan poured himself a cup of coffee and Julian gave up on his shirt, taking it off and throwing it across the room to the hamper.

"Oh I was just up late," Julian said. "Studying lines...shouldn't she be talking now?"

"What?" Logan asked.

"EJ, shouldn't she be talking?" Julian said. "Like, words, not baby-babble?" Logan put his coffee down and went over to EJ.

"Hey EJ," the toddler looked up at her uncle. "Say 'Uncle Logan is the best uncle in the whole wide world'." EJ blinked and then turned back to making a mess out of her breakfast.

"Guess she's not ready," Logan said. Julian shook his head.

"You're ridiculous," the actor laughed. Just then Derek walked in, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Well SOMEONE got in late..." Julian teased.

"I was at the work party thing..." Derek said, unable to even form coherent thoughts yet. "Is there coffee?" Julian and Logan pointed to the pot.

"That ended at midnight though," Logan pointed out. "But YOU, Mr. Seigerson, didn't get in till four..."

"What are you two, my mothers?" Derek asked. "I had a drink after the party..."

"With?" Julian and Logan asked. Derek shook his head and drank his coffee graciously.

"You're not going to tell us?" Logan frowned. "Meanie." Derek simply shrugged and sat back down in his a chair next to EJ who promptly put baby cereal in her father's hair.

"Thanks Emma," Derek groaned as the other two laughed. "Daddy really needed that," he said, taking the towel Julian had thrown on the table. He wiped his hair clean and drank more of his coffee.

"We're glad you had a good time D," Logan said. "What's her name?" Derek shook his head. Sighing in defeat, he placed his coffee cup on the table.

"I had drinks with a group from work and then we took separate Taxi's home."

"That's a boring story," Julian said. "I feel like you're not telling everything."

"Well I couldn't bring girls back here!" Derek said. "I had another girl here," points to EJ who was now covered in cereal. "Seriously EJ, did you even EAT?"

"We would have watched her," Logan said. "You need to get out more, be the old Derek again."

"Well, not necessarily be the old Derek," Julian assed as Derek picked up EJ. "Cause, the old Derek doesn't have EJ, and we like her more than you." Derek stuck his tongue out at Julian. EJ copied him.

"So what kind of Derek would you like me to be, because anymore and I'm going to have to read Jekyll and Hyde, and I didn't even do that when we were in school." He sat EJ on the counter and pulled out a dish rag, dampening it to wash off EJ. Julian and Logan shared a look before turning back to Derek, similar expressions on their faces.

"Happy," they said. "We just want you to be happy D." Derek smiled to himself, concentrating on cleaning up his daughter and her mess. He was happy. He had a good job and good friends, a daughter he loved very much a supportive family.

"You guys can watch EJ this afternoon, right? Derek asked. Julian and Logan nodded.

"Great, more free time to brain wash EJ!" Logan said excitedly. Derek raised an eyebrow and looked over at Julian.

"Logan wants EJ's first word to be 'Uncle Lolo'," Derek laughed. Logan flicked a bit of breakfast mess at his boyfriend.

"Yeah, well, with the way you two talk to each other, her first word is going to be Squid," Derek lifted EJ up in the air and she giggled happily.

"Bye EJ," he kissed the top of her head. "Daddy loves you."

* * *

><p>Derek sat in the cafe across the street from his office, drafting a press report for a conference James was going to be in next week. The Olympics, the kid was going to the Olympics. And just over a year ago Derek had been sure he was being punished getting a kid so young and cocky.<p>

He subconsciously ripped the napkin on the table next to his spot, his mind drifting to different corners of the world. He was so out of it in fact, that he didn't notice the pretty, young brunette sneak up behind him and quickly place her hands over his eyes.

"Hey!" Derek laughed. "Raven!" He put his notebook down, stood up, and smiled. "How was work?" He asked, kissing Raven on the cheek.

"Nothing too interesting today," Raven shrugged. "But I had a meeting at eight and I'm exhausted. I'm getting coffee, you want some?"

"I'll get it," Derek said. "I was thinking we'd take it to-go?" he pointed outside. The sun was bright and Derek wanted to walk after being cooped up in his office all morning.

They walked outside, circling the block with coffee in hand. They had been talking about the party Derek's office had thrown last night, where Ray had been his date (un-beknowst to Logan and Julian) when suddenly Ray stopped and faced Derek. "What?"

"You have...something," she pointed to the side of his head, his ear exactly, and Derek wiped at it to find some of EJ's breakfast had avoided his shower this morning.

"Well, that's attractive," Derek said. Ray laughed.

"Your daughter?" Raven asked. Derek nodded.

"She wanted to share her breakfast," Derek shrugged. Ray laughed.

"So you didn't tell your friends about me yet?" Raven asked casually as they walked, her hand slipping into his.

"I just don't want them to make a big deal about all of it." Derek said. "And any way, we haven't been together that long...maybe they haven't noticed..."

"3 weeks, you've been going to "work parties" for three weeks," Ray pointed out. Derek's eyebrows rose.

"Really?"

"I just feel like we're sneaking around behind your wife's back or something..." Ray said. "Oh my god, that's it, isn't it? You're actually married and I'm the filthy mistress! That's why you can't take me home!" Ray smirks and pulled a melodramatic sigh, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead.

"Ha ha ha, very funny," Derek laughed. "No, it's not that its..." Bringing a girl over to his apartment didn't used to be this difficult!

"It's you have EJ to worry about," Ray finished for him. Derek looked up at her. "Derek, I did study psychology, I can read minds, you know," she grinned.

"I believe it," Derek said. "Look, I promise you can come by and meet them soon, let me just..." Derek searched for the right words. "Break them into it, they have no idea I'm dating anyone so..."

* * *

><p>"So is she pretty?" Logan asked, taking off his headphones and looking up at Julian who was making dinner (well, making a mess actually) in the kitchen.<p>

"The girl Derek's dating?" Julian asked. "Yes, she's gorgeous," Julian said as he poured pasta in a colander and half the pot spilled on the counter.

"You want help?" Logan asked, afraid to look up. EJ waddled over to Logan and tried to pull herself up on the piano, banging on the keys. Logan lifted her up and sat her on his lap, kissing the top of her head.

"No," Julian said as he tried to push the pasta toward the sink. He hissed as the scalding hot water touched his hand.

"You're Uncle Jules is going to hurt himself," Logan sing-songed to EJ who giggled.

"No he's nooooottt," Julian replied in the same tone. EJ smiled and hit the keys with her hands. She leaned back against Logan's chest, her head next to the headphones that emmited noise each time she hit a key. EJ squealed with delight and banged on the plastic keys.

"When did you see them?" Logan asked. Julian smirked.

"The other day Derek was laying on the old Seigerson-charm on the phone," Julian said. "So I MAY have taken EJ for a stroll..."

"You stalked Derek until he picked up this Raven girl, didn't you," Logan rolled his eyes.

"Did we HAPPEN to be heading to the same resturant? Yes. Was Derek there with a pretty girl holding her hand? Yes. Did I stalk him? No, you know I'm above that," Julian winked.

"You're ridiculous," Logan shook his head. "Seriously nuts. But why wouldn't Derek tell us?"

"Tell you what?" Derek asked as he opened the front door and pulled his key out of the lock. Logan and Julian shared a look.

"When you'd be home for dinner, Jules cooked..." Logan said quickly.

"Should I order pizza?" Derek smirked.

"It's not on fire and it's not growling at me shut up!" Julian yelled. Derek and Logan laughed. EJ was still banging on the piano keys, giggleing to the "music" comming from Logan's headphones.

"Hey E, look," Logan said, turning EJ toward Derek who put his jacket on the sofa. "Daddy's home."

"Hello beautiful," Derek said. EJ reached up her hands and grabbed at her father.

"Da-dy!" EJ squealed with joy, kicking her legs about and clearly showing Derek how much she missed him. "Da-dy, Da-dy!" The boys froze, Logan looked down at EJ who was reaching up at Derek still, chanting and clapping. Derek's jaw almost hit the floor as he reached down to pick her up. Julian re-spilt the pasta all over the floor and his feet.

"Damn, and I really thought she was going to say Logan first," Logan smiled as he lifed EJ towad Derek, who held his daughter and hugged her tight.

"Look at you," Derek said, lifting his daughter in the air. "Can you say it again? Say Daddy, EJ."

"Da-dy," Derk smiled wide and spun EJ around and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm going to go help the princess," Logan pointed to the kitchen where Julian was now swearing and screaming and running his bare foot under cold water in the sink. "Oh Jules, did you try cooking again, nice try princess," Logan patted Julian's head.

"Don't patronize me you ignorant squid! Why is pasta so hard to cook! I should have just ordered pizza! This is all your fault."

"Skid!" EJ yelled out, throwing her hands in the air. There was another short frozen silence, the beginning of many as EJ learned more and more words.

"I told you!" Derek pointed between his friends. "I TOLD you one of her first words would be SQUID!"


	10. Chapter 10

Raising EJ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Nine:

"Up!" EJ held her arms up as Derek walked by her.

"No EJ, Daddy's busy," He said, digging through the laundry bucket trying to find a matching pair of socks for his date with Raven later that night.

"Da-dy UP!" EJ whined. Derek sighed and picked up the 18 month old, placing her on his hip as he ran around the apartment frantically."Da-dy DOWN!" EJ fussed, squirming in his arms until he put her down. She ran to her toy bin and found a stuffed bear, positioning it to watch TV with her. Derek ran into Logan and Julian's room, stealing a pair of Logan's socks.

"DADDY!" Derek sprinted back to the living room.

"WHAT EJ?" Derek said. EJ held up her arms again. "No, EJ, go play."

"DADDY!" She walks over and hugs his leg. "Daddy Up! Daddy Peas!"

"Remember when I was HAPPY you learned to say Daddy?" Derek lifted her up and set her on his hips. "I'm regretting it right now." EJ giggled and hugged onto him as he found his shoes.

It was another 20 minutes of up-down before Julian walked in and dropped onto the couch, exhausted.

"Unka Ju-in," EJ ran over to Julian. "Up," She pleaded and Julian rolled her eyes, looking up at Derek.

"Still?" Derek nodded. Yes this game had been going on for a week and the boys were tired, annoyed, and their arms were sore beyond belief. "No Supergirl, Uncle Julian is sleepy."

"DAAAAAAAAAAAADDYYYYYYYYYYYY!" Julian groaned and Derek winced and EJ sat on the floor and cried.

"Nice, idiot, you made her cry," Derek said. "No EJ, no up."

"You know you can hear her squeal in the elevator?" Logan walked in, closing the front door.

"Unka Lolo!" EJ ran over. "Up peas!" Logan lifted her up.

"Dude, I thought we agreed we weren't playing this anymore," Derek crossed his arms.

"Logan is incapable of saying no to EJ," Julian said.

"I can say no whenever I want," Logan said.

"Unka Lolo! DOWN!" EJ was squirming in his grip and Logan put her down. "Up!"

"No EJ," Logan said pointedly.

"Unka Lolooooooooooooooooooo!" she cried, hugging his leg. "UP PEAS!"

"Don't give in Logan, it's killing all of us, trust me," Derek said. Logan looked down at EJ who was letting loose fat wet tears.

"Unka Lolo..." she said sadly, her big brown eyes widening.

"3...2...1..." Julian counted down.

Logan groaned in defeat, leaning down to pick EJ up. The other two booed him.

"Where's your will power man," Julian asked.

"I have none, sue me," Logan said, sitting at his piano bench and facing Derek and Julian.

"No I think you'll have punishment enough lifting up and putting EJ down for the rest of your life," Derek said. His phone rang and he answered it, patting EJ's head and then Logan's. "Hey Ray, yeah I'll pick you up in an hour..."

* * *

><p>"You have to help me Julian," Logan said as he walked into their half of the living room, EJ hooked onto his leg with all her might.<p>

"She's a baby Logan, pry her off..." Julian put down his script and lifted his reading glasses off.

"No I mean..." Logan sat on the couch. EJ climbed up into his lap. "I mean saying NO to her."

"You gotta man up, Wright," Julian said. "Better she learns it now or we're going to be push overs for years." Logan sighed and pulled EJ off of him, placing her on the floor.

"Unka Lolo, up peas!" she reached up at him.

Logan sighed. "No Emma." EJ pouted.

"Peeeeeasssss?" Logan shook his head. "Unka Ju-in?" Julian shook his head.

"Sorry supergirl," Julian said. EJ pouted and sat on the floor, beginning to cry. "Please don't cry EJ," Julian frowned.

"Seeeeeee," Logan poked Julian in the side. "It's HARD Jules."

EJ continued to wail. Julian leaned against Logan's shoulder and Logan wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, both of them frowning at EJ.

Finally, after what was probably a half hour of wailing, screaming, and temper-tantrums, EJ gave up.

"No up?"

"No up," Logan said.

"No?"

"No," Julian said. EJ looked between them, thinking for a minute.

"No!" she marched around the living room. "No No No No No No..."

"Oh great..." Logan said. "See what you made me do!"

* * *

><p>"EJ, bed time," Derek said.<p>

"No!" EJ said gleefully. Derek sighed and hit his head on the table.

"EJ, Now!"

"No!"

"Emma..." Derek sat on the floor next to EJ who was playing with a puzzle. "Emma, please can we go to bed?"

"No."

"It would make Daddy very happy..." EJ looked up at him. "Please EJ, for Daddy? Let's go sleep."

"Otay Da-dy," EJ said, putting her arms up in the air. "Up?"

"Yeah, c'mere," he lifted EJ up and she hugged him close. "You gotta quit this No game before we go to the Olympics Supergirl, I can't be worried about you and focused on work at the same time. Can you say Olympics?"

"No," EJ said.

"Yeah probably not," Derek laughed. "How about James, can you say James?"

"James," she said happily. "Par-er."

"Yeah, James and Parker, good job Em." He changed her into her pajamas and put her in her crib. "Go to sleep EJ."

"No."

"For Daddy Emma? Go to sleep please?" EJ sat in the bed. "Goodnight EJ."

"Nye Da-dy."

"I love you.

"Lub oo.


	11. Chapter 11

Raising EJ – A Stuart!Trio fic

By Ashley Lotti

Chapter Ten:

EJ sat on Julian's shoulders as Derek and Logan hauled a Christmas tree up the stairs. "Thanks for the help Jules," Logan huffed as he and Derek took a break on the stairs.

"I am helping," Julian pointed to EJ who was eating a Christmas cookie Amanda made and getting crumbs in his hair.

"She's not going to get lost," Logan said.

"We've lost her in the building twice..." Derek said. "She needs like a leash or something..."

"Or you know, Logan could close the door so she doesn't escape..." Julian sing-songed.

"It was an accident! Who knew she could move so fast?" Logan said, exasperated. EJ crumbled the rest of her cookies in her Uncle Julian's hair.

"I don't remember carrying a tree last year," Logan said as they finally reached the apartment. Due to EJ's new found hobby of grabbing new things and attempting to destroy them, the tree was going in Logan and Julian's part of the apartment.

"That's cause we got an EJ," Derek said. "We spent the whole month of December trying not to accidentally kill her."

Fond(ish) memories of botched baths and feeding attempts were reminisced as the trio put up the tree on it's stand. EJ crawled around the tree, pulling the branches.

"Smells like Christmas, right EJ?" Derek asked, scooping her up. "Say Tree?"

EJ thought for a moment. "Twee."

"Good girl," he kissed her cheek and tickled her sides, making her giggle.

Slowly but surely, the apartments got decorated for Christmas. Derek had to admit it was his favorite time of year and he was glad to be sharing it with his two best friends and his daughter, his family.

"What are you doing tomorrow night D?" Logan asked as he strung lights around the tree. Julian was putting stockings up by the fire, trying not to hit his thumb with the hammer. Every time he did though, EJ squealed with laughed as her uncle jumped up and down, doing his best not to swear in her presence.

"Christmas eve? Dunno, I might take EJ to go see Santa..." He had been convinced by Amanda actually, that he needed to take EJ to the mall. He retorted with when Amanda was little, she was terrified of Santa, and anyone else with a beard for that matter, and he wasn't up to traumatizing his child yet. "Why?"

"Just wondering, I might go out with Julian..." He said.

"Is that code for I have to leave and take EJ because you two want to have sex?"

"No! I mean actually take him out," Logan rolled his eyes. "We haven't been on a date in a while, just the two of us, and I didn't want to plan anything and then find out we were on EJ patrol while you were out with Raven or something..."

"Raven's with her family for Christmas," Derek said. The couple had agreed it was too soon to meet the family for them, so they celebrated early. Amanda too, who he was a bit hurt to find out she was spending this Christmas between thier mother's house and a _boy's _also spent an early holiday with them. He turned to EJ who had tinsel stuck in her hair. "Just you and me tomorrow shorty, how's that sound?"

EJ giggled happily.

* * *

><p>"Daddy?" EJ pulled his hair to get his attention. "Who dat?"<p>

"That's Santa," he said. The one year old looked up a him curiously. "Santa brings you toys if you're a good girl." Wow, that's really how it worked? It sounded way cooler on the children's end of things, from the parent's side, Santa was just a big bribe. Derek frowned.

"James!" EJ threw her hands up excitedly.

"What? No, San-ta..." Derek said slowly.

"James! James! James!" Derek looked over to a group of college aged kids chatting at a food court table. At the sound of his name, the boy with the olive-toned skin and shiny-bald head looked up and around before spotting EJ and Derek. James told his friends he'd be right back and he ran over to them.

"Whats up EJ!" James said with a grin. "And here I thought my disguise kept fans at bay..."

"Wear any kind of glasses you want, James, but people could eat dinner off your head," Derek flicked the thick rimmed glasses as James put them in his pocket and James punched his arm lightly.

"You going to see Santa, EJ?"

"Sanna," EJ said, her voice warry.

"Don't worry, he's pretty cool," James said. "And you gotta have your pretty smile ready so for a picture!" EJ reached out to James and he held her for Derek.

"How'd the first semester go?" James shrugged as he bounced the baby. Derek raised an eyebrow, "James..."

"It went alright. Finals kicked my ass though..." he frowned. "It's not as easy as it looks you know, I swim five hours a day, train for two, 15 units of classes..." He mimed cutting his throat. "I mean, I like USC, but the school plus swim things is exhausting, and now that trials are over and everyone knows I'm going to the Olympics..." He hands EJ back to Derek seeing as they were next in line.

"I'm sorry it's been rough James," Derek frowned, sadly, there wasn't much he could do to help him.

"Parker says I just have to get used to it," James shrugged. He smiled however, "I'll figure it out, always do."

"Next?" A high school student dressed as an elf smiled at Derek and EJ. James stood next to the photographer.

"C'mon Emma," he walked her up to the mall Santa. The guy seemed generally happy playing Santa and Derek was relieved that when he handed his child over, she didn't scream and throw a fit like Amanda had when they were younger. Instead EJ smiled up to the man and instantly began her garbled mix of the few words she knew and baby babble.

"Alright, photo op!"James grinned. "Derek get in the picture!" Derek shot him a look that clearly said there wasn't a chance he was taking a freeking Santa picture. But when he tried to walk out of the frame, EJ's eyes grew wide and she reached out for him.

"Daddy..." she pouted. Derek sighed and James grinned again.

"Fine fine..." he sighed. "Sup Santa?" The Santa chuckled as Derek crouched down next to EJ who sat on Santa's lap. "Look at James EJ," he said as James made faces and EJ giggled. The camera flashed, capturing the moment.

* * *

><p>Julian walked with Logan, their hands clasped together as they left the restaurant Christmas Eve night. Julian hadn't realized how much he missed the alone time with Logan. Their last few times out together had been social events that had to do with their jobs. But now that filming was on break for the holidays and Logan had no new projects, he was happy to spend Christmas eve with the man he loved.<p>

That was, if Logan could stop fidgeting. "What is up with you?" Julian finally asked, laughing.

"What? Nothing?" Logan said defensively. He leaned over and kissed Julian's cheek, making Julian smile and shake his head.

"Silly squid."

"I love you," Logan said. Julian smiled.

"I love you too." They walked from the restaurant to the park. Logan wrapped his arm around Julian's shoulder and kissed his temple. "We need to do this more often."

"Go on dates?" Logan asked, Julian nodded. "I agree." Julian smiled and squeezed his hand.

"Where are we going?" Julian finally asked. Logan grinned.

"I was hoping you'd ask," he said, pulling Julian along with him. They were walking up a pathway in the part for a while before Logan suddenly cut off the path and dragged his boyfriend through the brush. Julian was just about to ask when they reached a clearing. It overlooked all of downtown, light shimmering, the city aglow with Christmas. It really was a sight to see.

"Lo...this is amazing," Julian said as he looked out over the view. Logan smiled, happy that Julian enjoyed his little surprise. He walked up behind Julian and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him close to him. He nuzzled Julian's neck before pressing a kiss to it. Looking out at the view as Julian leaned into him, his stomach flipped and his chest tightened.

"I love you Julian," Logan whispered, holding him close.

"Love you too Logan," he said. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." He put his chin on Julian's shoulder and took in a breath. "Jules..."

"Mmm?"

"Marry me?" The minute the words slipped his lips he wanted to suck them back in. What if he wasn't ready? What if he didn't want to get married; it was damn near impossible in California for them, they'd have to go somewhere else. What if he said no?

Julian turned to look at Logan, his sepia-toned eyes round in surprise. "Do you just say..." Logan reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring. It was silver, black diamonds embedded in the ring. Logan dropped to one knee.

"Marry me Julian Larson," Logan asked again. "We've sort of made a make-shift, odd little family you and I, Derek included, and Emma. I love you. I love you with every fiber of my being, and I want our family to be official. I want you forever, to grow old with you, to wake up with you beside me. I want kids of our own one day, and I want to go to functions and things where you're on my arm and I can call you my husband. So...what do you say?"

"Yes," there was no hesitation, no pause for thought when Julian answered. "Yes, I'll marry you." He smiled widely, it matching Logan's face as he quickly stood up. He captured Julian in a sweet, teary kiss. Julian held him close as he pressed his forehead to Logan's. Logan pushed the ring onto Julian's finger and he kissed him again.

* * *

><p>Derek finished copying the picture from earlier and put it in an envelope to mail to his mother. He scribbled a "Merry Christmas Love Derek and EJ" on the back of the glossy paper and addressed it, he'd mail it tomorrow.<p>

The original copy leaned up on the shelf above the fireplace. The boys weren't exactly interior decorators, there were no frames for their pictures, they sort of just taped them to the wall or pinned them up in their room. Derek suddenly realized he had hardly any pictures of EJ and he frowned. Weren't parents supposed to document their child growing up? He was positive his mother had a box of home movies that he'd probably die if they went out in the open, but they were memories...

He'd buy a camera. He'd try to do better, maybe it could be his new years resolution.

"EJ, where'd you go? It's bed time..." Derek looked around and found her lying under the tree. "What are you doing Emma?" He raised an eyebrow and lied on the ground next to her.

"Yites," EJ pointed up.

"Yeah the Christmas lights are pretty awesome," He smiled looking up at the tree from underneath. Beside him, there was a soft snoring noise and Derek looked over to see EJ fast asleep, her face pressed up against his ribs. He smiled and kissed her head, wrapping his arm around her and placing the other behind his head, closing his eyes, just for a moment.

Julian and Logan came home around midnight, both planning on waking Derek to tell them their news. But when they saw the Seigerson's under the tree, they decided it could wait till morning. As a last minute thought, Julian pulled out his iPhone and snapped a picture of them. Then he took his boyfr- his fiancee's- hand, and pulled him quickly down the hall to their room, intent on celebrating.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you two are finally getting married," Derek said the next morning at Christmas as EJ opened presents with Logan's help.<p>

"What do you mean finally?" Logan asked.

"I mean it's been nine years bro," Derek laughed. "You two have been dating since Dalton."

"Well we weren't going to get married in College, we were too young," Julian said.

"And then Jules got that movie deal..."

"And then Logan's music got a lot of hype so he was really busy..."

"And I guess it sort of slipped our minds."

"Unka Logan was dis?" EJ held out another present.

"That's for Uncle Julian," Logan said and EJ carried the gift to Julian.

"Dis?" EJ held another small square package. "For EJ?"

"No, that's for Daddy," Logan said. "This is for EJ though," EJ gave Derek his gift and went back to opening the present that Logan and Julian had bought her.

Derek looked at the package. He already opened his gifts from his family and from Logan and Julian and Raven. He undid the card and read it quietly.

_Derek, _

_Here's a gift of good memories and memories to come. Thank you for being an amazing addition to our family this past year._

_With Love, Parker and James Ocosona_

Derek unwrapped the present. Inside was a picture frame, the picture it held was of Derek and EJ, what must have been around EJ's birthday. He was holding her up in the air, both of them smiling. The other half of the gift, Derek had to laugh a little. It was a camera. Wasn't he just thinking of buying one yesterday? A post-it on the box in James' handwriting said it was already charged and ready, and Derek pulled it out of the box. "EJ look over here," EJ looked up and Derek took a picture as Logan stuck a bow to her forehead.

He admired the picture and the frame a bit with a smile. "Merry Christmas guys.


End file.
